Co-bonded electroformed abrasion strip

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9920444-B2
Application number	US-201414285376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2014
Priority date	May 22, 2014
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus for a co-bonded electroformed abrasion strip are disclosed. A disclosed method for making a unitary abrasion strip for a fluid dynamic surface includes manufacturing or identifying a first metallic section having an overlap region on a first end of the first metallic section. The method further includes manufacturing or identifying an overlap region disposed on the first end of the first metallic section by preparing the first end of the first metallic section. Also, the method includes creating a second metallic section onto the overlap region on the first end of the first metallic section by performing a first electro-deposition process on the first end of the first metallic section; where the first metallic section, the overlap region, and the second metallic section together form a unitary, inseparable abrasion strip for a fluid dynamic surface.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method for making a unitary abrasion strip for a fluid dynamic surface, comprising:
manufacturing a first metallic section;
manufacturing an overlap region disposed on a first end of the first metallic section by preparing the first end of the first metallic section,
wherein the overlap region extends over only a portion of the first metallic section; and
creating a second metallic section onto the overlap region on the first end of the first metallic section by performing a first electro-deposition process on the first end of the first metallic section, wherein the first metallic section, the overlap region, and the second metallic section together form a unitary abrasion strip for a fluid dynamic surface,
wherein a region of the second metallic section is not in contact with a region of the first metallic section.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of manufacturing an overlap region comprises at least one of:
performing a second electro-deposition process to deposit a first metal on the portion of the first end of the first metallic section to create the overlap region;
decontaminating the portion of the first metallic section to remove one or more contaminants; and
preparing the portion of the first metallic section to manufacture the overlap region for receiving the second metallic section.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second electro-deposition process comprises an electroplating process.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first metal comprises at least one of nickel and a nickel-cobalt based alloy.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first metallic section comprises one of an iron-based alloy or a titanium-based alloy.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second metallic section comprises one of nickel, a nickel-based alloy, or a nickel-cobalt based alloy.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first electro-deposition process comprises an electroforming process.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first metallic section is manufactured to a first geometric profile that substantially conforms to a first portion of the fluid dynamic surface, the second metallic section is manufactured to have a second geometric profile that substantially conforms to a second portion of the fluid dynamic surface, and the fluid dynamic surface comprises one or more surfaces on a rotatory blade that converts energy from fluid flow into propulsion power for a craft having the rotatory blade.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the rotatory blade comprises one of a rotorcraft blade, an impeller blade, and a windmill blade.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second metallic section is created onto the first metallic section and has a geometric profile that is fabricated within a tolerance range between less than ten nanometers to tens of micrometers.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Gatley Christopher M

Classifications

• C25D7/00

  Electroplating characterised by the article coated · CPC title

• C22C19/03

  based on nickel · CPC title

• Y10T428/12944

  Ni-base component · CPC title

• C25D5/12

  at least one layer being of nickel or chromium · CPC title

• B32B15/015

  the said other metal being copper or nickel or an alloy thereof · CPC title