Method of masking apertures in a component and processing the component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11814742-B2
Application number	US-201916967947-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2019
Priority date	Feb 8, 2018
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of processing a component, wherein the component comprises at least one opening in a surface thereof, the method comprising: placing the component in an electrophoretic fluid comprising particles of a masking material as an electrode, applying a voltage to the component and a counter electrode of the component, depositing particles of the masking material in the electrophoretic fluid into the at least one aperture through electrophoresis to mask the at least one aperture; processing a surface of the component; and removing the masking material in the at least one opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of processing a component, wherein the component comprises a substrate, an outer layer on the substrate and providing a surface of the component, and at least one aperture extending through the outer layer and into the substrate, the method comprising:
placing the component in an electrophoretic fluid comprising particles of a masking material as an electrode, applying a voltage to the component and a counter electrode of the component, depositing the particles of the masking material in the electrophoretic fluid into the at least one aperture through electrophoresis to fill the at least one aperture with the masking material;
processing the surface of the component comprising removing at least one portion of the outer layer;
removing the masking material in the at least one aperture;
placing the component in the electrophoretic fluid comprising the particles of the masking material as the electrode, applying the voltage to the component and the counter electrode of the component, depositing the particles of the masking material in the electrophoretic fluid into the at least one aperture through electrophoresis to fill the at least one aperture with the masking material;
processing the surface of the component comprising applying at least one type of coating on the surface; and
removing the masking material in the at least one aperture.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the outer layer having a lower electrical conductivity than the substrate, and wherein steps to remove the at least one portion of the outer layer comprises at least one of sand blasting, water jetting, laser ablation, electrochemical stripping, and pickling.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the outer layer comprises a thermal barrier coating and an adhesive layer between the thermal barrier coating and the substrate, steps to remove the at least one portion of the outer layer comprise: removal of the thermal barrier coating by a method comprising sand blasting and removal of the adhesive layer by a method comprising pickling.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the outer layer comprises an electrically insulating layer, steps to treat the surface of the component comprises removing the electrically insulating layer.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the masking material comprises at least one of an organic compound, a ceramic material, a metal, and their composite thereof.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the removing of the masking material in the at least one aperture comprises high temperature oxidation.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the masking material comprises acrylic epoxy.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one aperture is fully filled with the masking material.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the removal of the masking material in the at least one aperture at a first time is subsequent to the removal of the at least one portion of the outer layer, and wherein the removal of the masking material in the at least one aperture at a second time is subsequent to the application of the at least one type of coating on the surface.

10. A method of repairing a component, wherein the component comprises a substrate, an outer layer on the substrate, and at least one aperture extending through the outer layer and into the substrate, the method comprising:
placing the component in an electrophoretic fluid comprising particles of a masking material as an electrode, applying a voltage to the component and a counter electrode of the component, depositing the particles of the masking material in the electrophoretic fluid into the at least one aperture through electrophoresis to fill the at least one aperture with the masking material;
removing at least a portion of the outer layer;
removing the masking material in the at least one aperture;
remasking the at least one aperture;
applying a coating on a surface of the component after remasking the at least one aperture; and
opening the at least one aperture that has been remasked.

11. A method according to claim 10 , further comprising: applying a coating on a surface of the component prior to removing the masking material in the at least one aperture after removing at least the portion of the outer layer.

12. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the outer layer comprises an electrically insulating layer, and steps to treat a surface of the component comprises removing the electrically insulating layer comprising sand blasting.

13. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the outer layer has a lower electrical conductivity than the substrate such that the masking material is preferentially deposited onto inner walls of the at least one aperture comprising the substrate rather than on the outer layer.

14. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the outer layer comprises a thermal barrier coating and an adhesive layer between the thermal barrier coating and the substrate, wherein the removing of at least the portion of the outer layer comprises: removal of the thermal barrier coating comprising sand blasting and removal of the adhesive layer comprising pickling.

15. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the masking material comprises at least one of an organic compound, a ceramic material, a metal, and their composite thereof.

16. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the removing of the masking material in the at least one aperture comprises high temperature oxidation.

17. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one aperture is fully filled with the masking material.

18. A method according to claim 10 , further comprising baking the component after fully filing the at least one aperture.

19. A method of processing a component, wherein the component comprises a substrate, an outer layer on the substrate and providing a surface of the component, and at least one aperture extending through the outer layer and into the substrate, the method comprising:
placing the component in an electrophoretic fluid comprising particles of a masking material as an electrode, applying a voltage to the component and a counter electrode of the component, depositing the particles of the masking material in the electrophoretic fluid into the at least one aperture through electrophoresis to fill the at least one aperture with the masking material at a first time;
processing the surface of the component comprising removing at least one portion of the outer layer;
removing the masking material in the at least one aperture after removing the at least one portion of the outer layer;
placing the component in the electrophoretic fluid comprising the particles of the masking material as the electrode, applying the voltage to the component and the counter electrode of the component, depositing the particles of the masking material in the electrophoretic fluid into the at least one aperture through electrophoresis to fill the at least one aperture with the masking material at a second time that is later than the first time;
processing the surface of the component comprising applying at least one type of coating on the surface; and
removing the masking material in the at least one aperture after applying the at least one type of coating on the surface.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Xu Sheng
• Gu Yanfei
• Zhong Dalong

Classifications

• C25D13/12 Primary

  characterised by the article coated · CPC title

• C23C4/02 Primary

  Pretreatment of the material to be coated, e.g. for coating on selected surface areas · CPC title

• C23C28/3215

  at least one MCrAlX layer · CPC title

• C25D13/00

  Electrophoretic coating characterised by the process (C25D15/00 takes precedence; compositions for electrophoretic coating C09D5/44) · CPC title

• F01D5/288

  Protective coatings for blades · CPC title