Background
GE is the first production user of Hamuel’s additive and subtractive machining center for turbine blade repair thanks to GE’s acquiring Alstom Power in 2015.
Senior engineer Hartmut Hähnle, formerly of Alstom and now senior engineer with GE Power Services’ Global Repair organization, has been involved with this work since the proof-of-concept was demonstrated.
At the GE Power Services manufacturing site in Birr, Switzerland, the team recently used the Hamuel machine to not just repair blades, but also modify them for improved performance.
The Challenge
The original blade design left more space open in the slot than necessary for cooling, which reduced turbine efficiency.
This engineering modification likely would not have been made in the past due to tooling cost and the small number of blades affected.
Our Solution
With hybrid additive and subtractive capability, GE was able to repair the blades and also add a new sealing feature as a simple step in the same process.
This approach changed the economics of a small-quantity modification while enhancing turbine efficiency.
Results
⚙️ Hybrid machine used to repair and modify blades
🔁 Single-setup processing reduced handling steps
🎯 Added sealing feature for improved turbine efficiency
⏱️ Saved two out of three transport and clamping steps in typical repair sequences
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