Patent ID: 8123486

Claim:
A system for manufacturing an integrally bladed rotor, comprising: (a) a ring component, wherein the ring component further includes: (i) at least one metal matrix composite; and (ii) a continuous radially outwardly facing conical surface; (b) an airfoil component, wherein the airfoil component has been created from a single piece of material and further includes a continuous, radially inwardly facing conical surface; and (c) inertia welding means for frictionally engaging under an axially applied weld load the ring component and the airfoil component to effect an inertia weld therebetween along the conical surfaces, wherein following the inertia welding of the airfoil component to the ring component, a quantity of material is removed around the base of each airfoil blade to a diameter smaller than the weld diameter between each conical surface.