The Makino Aerospace Group understands its role in helping customers meet these demands. It invests heavily in evolving its machining technologies, application expertise and supporting machine tool technologies. Makino’s latest findings from this exacting focus have redefined the manufacturing of blisk engine component parts.

Creating this engine component across a single Makino high-speed, five-axis machining center eliminates tolerance stackups from multiple parts made across different machines and the cost of supporting various operations. The conventional approach to compressor rotors involves an assembly of shafts, disks, blades and retainers. The one-piece blisk part is lighter than a conventionally designed assembly, and since a blisk’s blades cannot shift or move due to centrifugal force or blade load, aerodynamics are improved and overall part performance is more efficient.

Advanced Approach Brings Results

In several comprehensive application tests, Makino machines the blisk faster than ever before, from one piece of titanium, with impressive results. Makino also machines stainless steel and aluminum blisks with similar results.

These impressive results prove out the speed and accuracy Makino’s application brings to blisk manufacturing. But to truly appreciate how this breakthrough is possible, the entire application needs to be examined. It is the sum of the application’s technologies and cutting techniques that make it a powerful example of aerospace manufacturing innovation.

   

COMPLEX CUTS THINK FAST

Flush Fine ™

Flush Fine machining is a high-speed, high-definition and low heat machining process pioneered by Makino. It combines high spindle speeds, high feed rates and a shallow depth of cut to prevent heat buildup in the blisk and the tool.

Powerful Toolpaths

Toolpaths are created using NREC’s CAM software package—MAX-AB. MAX-AB is designed for multi-axis machining of turbomachinery components—engine components, fuel pumps and compressors. Working with this cutter path is Makino’s proprietary Super Geometric Intelligence (SGI) software. SGI takes cutter path data and overrides accelerations and decelerations of the machine tool to maintain the most accurate path possible at the highest possible feed rate.

A Firm and Fast Foundation

High rigidity standards are required to create such close tolerances on this intricately contoured titanium part. Makino has an integrated design that includes rigid castings, vibration control, advanced servo technology and unmatched spindle stiffness with high levels of horsepower. This translates into a fast, rigid machining center capable of more accurate metal removal and feedrates as high as 1,970 inches per minute.

The machining center’s five-axis configuration provides access to the blisk’s blades and various angles. And a high-speed, automatic tool changer (2.0 seconds tool-to-tool) reduces out-of-cut time and increases throughput rates.

Flexibility Promotes Optimization of Investment

Another advantage to this application is that it is not dedicated. The impact made on blisk manufacturing can be realized with an array of parts and part models due to the advanced technology’s flexibility. An operator can change to a different part number in minutes. It is a fast and fairly simple procedure that does not impact spindle uptime. With standardized tooling it merely involves changing the part program, allowing for easy incorporation of engineering’s latest part changes.

Makino’s machining centers have a modular, systems-ready design that facilitates integration into flexible machining cells and manufacturing systems. Three-point leveling eliminates the need for a special foundation and promotes fast and economical installation for easy redeployment.

Makino’s approach to blisk manufacturing is just one example of meeting aerospace manufacturing challenges. With more than 350 machine tool installations in aerospace applications worldwide, meeting these challenges has become second nature for the MakinoAerospace Group. This manufacturing breakthrough is just one example of how the Makino Aerospace Group can impact aerospace manufacturing pressures. For more information on this demonstration, contact Makino at 800-552-3288 or via email at makino@dataworks.com. For more information on the Makino Aerospace Group’s approach to machining solutions, visit www.makino.com/aerospace/.

Copyright © 2001 - 2010 by Makino, Inc. All rights reserved.