Patent ID: 8721290

Claim:
A process for producing a turbine blade comprising a first subcomponent and at least a second subcomponent, the first subcomponent comprising an airfoil portion and a shank nub having a base with a cross-section that is wider in cross-section than a region of the shank nub adjacent the airfoil portion, the second subcomponent comprising a dovetail portion attached to the shank nub and adapted for anchoring the turbine blade to a turbine disk, the dovetail portion having at least one off-axis geometric feature that results in the second subcomponent having a more complex geometry than the first subcomponent, the off-axis geometric feature comprising at least one tang that protrudes from the shank nub and a pressure face on the tang, the process comprising: producing the first subcomponent of a ceramic-based material; and then casting a metallic material on the shank nub of the first subcomponent to form in situ the dovetail portion of the second subcomponent and the off-axis geometric feature thereof and to attach the second subcomponent to the first subcomponent, the second subcomponent being formed of at least the metallic material.