Patent ID: 6855033

Claim:
A fixture used in conjunction with a gas turbine component blank having an orthogonal reference system including an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis, the gas turbine component blank comprising an elongated airfoil extending generally parallel to the z-axis and having an airfoil face, a platform extending transversely to the z-axis at a first end of the airfoil, the platform having a top side adjacent to the airfoil and a bottom side oppositely disposed from the top side, a root precursor at the first end of the airfoil and extending away from the airfoil along the z-axis, wherein the root precursor has a pair of oppositely disposed ends lying perpendicular to the y-axis, and a pair of sides, and a rotating shroud at a second end of the airfoil extending transversely to the z-axis and along the y-axis, the fixture comprising: a base upon which a remainder of the fixture is supported, the base having an x-axis datum locator, a y-axis datum locator including a first y-axis stop and a second y-axis stop, and a z-axis datum locator, wherein the x-axis datum locator is positioned to receive the gas turbine component blank thereon with the airfoil face in a generally facing relationship to the base; and a clamp movable between an unclamped position in which the gas turbine component blank may be inserted onto the x-axis datum locator of the base, and a clamped position wherein the clamp simultaneously forces a first end of the root precursor against the first y-axis stop, the rotating shroud against the second y-axis stop, and the gas turbine component blank against the z-axis datum locator.