Patent Abstract:
A system to install a mask onto a component of a gas turbine engine includes a drive movable along an axis with respect to a movable base.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to plating deposition processes and equipment, and more particularly, to a method and masking assembly for selectively depositing a plating on a turbine airfoil while preventing deposition of the plating on a dovetail of the airfoil. 
         [0002]    Gas turbine engines, such as those that power modern commercial and military aircraft, generally include a compressor section to pressurize an airflow, a combustor section to burn hydrocarbon fuel in the presence of the pressurized air, and a turbine section to extract energy from the resultant combustion gases. 
         [0003]    Turbine section blades typically include an airfoil which extends into the hot core gases which result from the combustion of fuel in the upstream combustor section. Because of the high temperatures and corrosive effects of such gases on the airfoil s, standard practice may include application of a protective plating that provide insulation from the high temperatures and corrosive effects. 
         [0004]    A root opposite the airfoil attaches the blade to a rotor disk of the engine and is not in need of protection from the high temperatures and corrosive effects of the hot core gases. The root often has a fir-tree shape that is assembled into a corresponding slot in a rotor disk such that after a prolonged time period, the root may exhibit a fatigue-related phenomenon referred to as fretting. Fretting has been found to be exacerbated by plating. Thus, in order to achieve the desired properties in the various s of the turbine airfoil to maximize service life only the airfoil is plated. 
         [0005]    One method to plate only the airfoil is to segregate the airfoil with a mask that protects the root and platform underside before insertion into the plating solution. An operator manually inserts the airfoil into a mask. Installation may be relatively difficult and time consuming as the operator usually requires two hands and a wood table as leverage to wiggle the airfoil into the mask. As a gas turbine engine may contain upwards of eighty airfoils in one stage and multiple different stages, masking turbine components may be time consuming and expensive. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    A system to install a component into a mask of a gas turbine engine according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure includes a movable base and a drive movable along an axis with respect to said movable base. 
         [0007]    In a further embodiment of the foregoing embodiment, the drive supports an insertion cup. In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment the insertion cup includes a semi-spherical. In the alternative or additionally thereto, in the foregoing embodiment the insertion cup is non-metallic. 
         [0008]    In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the drive is a linear motor. 
         [0009]    In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the system includes a lubrication mister directed toward said movable base. 
         [0010]    In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the movable base is movable in an X-direction and Y-direction, said Z-direction defined along said axis. 
         [0011]    In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the movable base includes a mask support movable with respect to a housing. 
         [0012]    In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the movable base includes a mask support spring connected and biased between the housing and the mask support. 
         [0013]    A method of masking a component of a gas turbine engine according to another disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure includes pressing a component into a mask supported on a movable base. 
         [0014]    In a further embodiment of the foregoing embodiment, the method includes permitting rotational movement of the movable bases. 
         [0015]    In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the method includes permitting tilting movement of the movable bases. 
         [0016]    In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the method includes pressing the component in a Z-direction and permitting movement of the movable bases in an X-direction and Y-direction. 
         [0017]    In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the method includes spraying the component with a lubricant solution. 
         [0018]    In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the method includes pressing the component with a semi-spherical insertion cup. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]    Various features will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the disclosed non-limiting embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows: 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a turbine component; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of the turbine component partially inserted into a mask; 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view of the turbine component fully inserted into the mask; 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a system to press the turbine component into a mask; 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of a movable base of the system to press the turbine component into the mask; 
           [0025]      FIG. 6  is an expanded schematic view of a spring bias of the movable base; 
           [0026]      FIG. 7  is a top view of the movable base; 
           [0027]      FIG. 8  is a schematic view of a insertion cup; 
           [0028]      FIG. 9  is a schematic partially disassembled view of the movable base of the system to press the turbine component into the mask; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 10  is a flowchart of the method of masking a turbine component. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0030]      FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a turbine component  10  that requires plating of only a thereof The turbine component  10 , for example a turbine rotor blade, includes an airfoil  12 , a platform  14  and a root  16 . The turbine component  10  is manufactured of a high temperature superalloy. It should be understood that not all turbine components as defined herein may be identical to that illustrated, and that other turbine components such as vanes and static structure that require a of the component to be masked will also benefit herefrom. 
         [0031]    The turbine component  10  is plated along the airfoil  12 , as the airfoil  12  is subjected to a core flow of corrosive, oxidative gases that impinge the airfoil  12  at temperatures in excess of 2400 degrees F. (1,315 degrees C.). The root  16  need not be plated and the platform  14  is segregates the airfoil  12  and the root  16 . The root  16  also includes openings  18  to cooling passages to communicate a coolant through the airfoil  12  to thermally combat the core flow. The root  16  may be a fir-tree, dovetail, or other convoluted shapes which is precision machined to fit within a correspondingly shaped slot in a rotor disk assembly (not shown). Because of the precision machining, the addition of even small amounts of plating may adversely affect the tight tolerances in the assembly process. In addition, the plating materials may instigate fretting and thereby undesirably effect the fatigue life of the root  16 . 
         [0032]    With reference to  FIG. 2 , the root  16  of the turbine component  10  may be protected from a plating operation by a mask  20  that, in one disclosed non-limiting embodiment, is a resilient material that is generally block-shaped in the disclosed non-limiting embodiment but may be of other shapes and configurations. The mask  20  closely fits onto the airfoil  12  and the platform  14  to shield desired of the turbine component  10  from exposure to the plating materials. That is, the mask  20  includes an internal shape that closely mirrors (and may be an interference fits with) the airfoil  12  and the platform  14  contours ( FIG. 3 ). Since the mask  20  is loaded into a fixture (not shown), the root  16  is segregated and thereby protected from the plating process. 
         [0033]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , a system  30  facilitates installation of the turbine component  10  into the mask  20 . The system  30  generally includes a movable base  32 , a drive  34 , an insertion cup  36 , a lubricating mister  38  and a controller  40 . The drive  34  is operable to press the turbine component  10  into the mask  20 . It should be appreciated that alternative or additional subsystems may be provided. 
         [0034]    The movable base  32  includes a housing  42  and a mask support  44  which is resiliently mounted within the housing  42 . The housing  42  may be semi-cylindrical with a cylindrical portion  43  and a radially extending base  45  from which the cylindrical portion  43  extends (see  FIG. 5 ). The housing  42  includes a load/unload opening  47  that is generally mimicked by the mask support  44 . In the disclosed non-limiting embodiment, an opening  46  includes a load/unload opening  47  to facilitate loading and unloading of the mask  20 . The opening  46  and the load/unload opening  47  may be of various sizes and orientations so as to facilitate operator interaction with the mask  20 . 
         [0035]    A resilient biasing member  48  ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ) such as a multiple of springs or a bladder resiliently position the mask support  44  within the housing  42 . The mask support  44  is at least partially enclosed by a cover  50  attached to the housing  42  with fasteners  51  to constrain movement of the mask support  44  in the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction. 
         [0036]    The drive  34  in the disclosed non-limiting embodiment is a variable speed linear motor. The insertion cup  36  is mounted to the drive  34  to provide a non-metallic semi-spherical engagement surface for contact with the turbine component  10 . The insertion cup  36  prevent damage to the turbine component  10  and permits some relative movement between the turbine component  10  and the mask  20  as the turbine component  10  “wiggles” into the mask  20  under the linear force applied by the drive  34 . The drive  34  may provide variable speed in that the insertion cup  36  is moved relatively rapidly under control of the controller  40  until contact with the turbine component  10  then reduces speed to carefully drive the turbine component  10  into the mask  20 . The drive  34  generates, in one example, less than approximately  10  pounds of force. 
         [0037]    The lubricating mister  38  is directed toward the mask  20  to selectively apply a mist of a lubricant such as a soap solution to the mask  20  in response to the controller  40 . The lubricating mister  38  facilitates insertion of the turbine component  10  into the mask  20  as the as the turbine component  10  is “wiggled” into the mask  20  under the linear force applied by the drive  34 . 
         [0038]    With reference to  FIG. 9 , a multiple of bumpers  52  accommodate unequal movement of the mask support  44  in the direction that the drive  34  presses—the Z-direction. The bumpers  52  may be rubber pucks that deform to accommodate the movement of the mask support  44 . That is, the drive  34  presses along an L axis that is oriented in the Z-direction such that straight-line pressure on the turbine component  10  will result in contact between the mask support  44  and all the bumpers  52 . The complex internal shape of the mask  20  which corresponds to the root  16 , however, results in the linear force applied by the drive  34  to displace the mask support  44  in the X-direction and the Y-direction as the turbine component  10  “wiggles” into the mask  20  as the mask support  44  and thereby the mask  20  moves to accommodate this motion in combination with the insertion cup  36 . The multiple of resilient biasing member  48  resiliently positions the mask support  44  within the housing  42  in the X-direction and the Y-direction while the bumpers accommodate movement in the Z-direction as the turbine component  10  “wiggles” into the mask  20 . 
         [0039]    With reference to  FIG. 10 , an operator initially pre-loads the turbine component  10  partially into the mask  20 . That is, the airfoil  12  is placed into the mask  20  which is mounted into the movable base  32 . The drive  34  is then actuated. In response to the controller  40 , the insertion cup  36  is moved relatively rapidly under control of the controller  40  until contact with the turbine component  10  then the controller  40  reduces speed of the drive to carefully drive the turbine component  10  into the mask  20 . Once the turbine component  10  is pressed fully into the mask  20 , the drive  34  retracts in response to the controller  40  and the operator may remove the completed masked component from the movable base  32 . The disclosed process eliminates any potential for ergonomic effect upon the operator, allows for consistent masking, eliminates variation in the masking process. It should be appreciated that the disclosed process is readily applicable to other component insertion which may require some “wiggle”. 
         [0040]    It should be understood that relative positional terms such as “forward,” “aft,” “upper,” “lower,” “above,” “below,” and the like are with reference to the normal operational attitude of the vehicle and should not be considered otherwise limiting. 
         [0041]    It should be understood that like reference numerals identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several drawings. It should also be understood that although a particular component arrangement is disclosed in the illustrated embodiment, other arrangements will benefit herefrom. 
         [0042]    Although particular step sequences are shown, described, and claimed, it should be understood that steps may be performed in any order, separated or combined unless otherwise indicated and will still benefit from the present disclosure. 
         [0043]    The foregoing description is exemplary rather than defined by the limitations within Various non-limiting embodiments are disclosed herein, however, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that various modifications and variations in light of the above teachings will fall within the scope of the appended claims. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the disclosure may be practiced other than as specifically described. For that reason the appended claims should be studied to determine true scope and content.

Technology Classification (CPC): 2