Abstract: A method for forming a blade tip on a turbine blade of a gas turbine engine includes providing a powder alloy from a family of environmentally-resistant powder alloys and forming the blade tip by melting and fusing the powder alloy to the turbine blade. The blade tip alloys preferably have a chemical composition of, in weight percent, about 14 to about 18 percent chromium, about 6.45 to about 6.95 percent aluminum, about 9.75 to about 11.45 percent cobalt, about 5.95 to about 6.55 percent tantalum, about 1.85 to about 2.35 percent rhenium, about 0.05 to about 1.75 percent hafnium, about 0,006 to about 0.03 percent zirconium, about 0.02 to about 0.11 percent carbon, up to about 1.1 percent silicon, up to about percent 0.01 percent boron, with the balance being nickel and typical impurities.

Abstract: A family of environmentally-resistant alloys is provided which are suitable for forming a blade tip for a turbine blade of a gas turbine engine. The blade tip alloys preferably have a chemical composition of, in weight percent, about 14 to about 18 percent chromium, about 6.45 to about 6.95 percent aluminum, about 9.75 to about 11.45 percent cobalt, about 5.95 to about 6.55 percent tantalum, about 1.85 to about 2.35 percent rhenium, about 0.05 to about 1.75 percent hafnium, about 0.006 to about 0.03 percent zirconium, about 0.02 to about 0.11 percent carbon, up to about 1.1 percent silicon, up to about percent 0.01 percent boron, with the balance being nickel and typical impurities.

Abstract: An apparatus for welding together a plurality of portions of a workpiece with a complex geometric surface includes a laser source for generating a laser beam; the laser source is positioned at a predetermined distance from the workpiece portions to form a weld bead of a selected width. The apparatus also includes a powder feed mechanism with a nozzle for depositing a chosen volume of powder per unit of time onto the workpiece surface. The powder feed nozzle includes a structure for preventing a reflected laser beam from the workpiece surface and the weld bead from being incident upon an orifice of the nozzle and thereby preventing the powder from melting and clogging the nozzle orifice. Either the workpiece or the laser source in combination with the powder feed mechanism may be mounted on a manipulator arrangement for moving either the workpiece portions or the combination of the laser source and powder feed mechanism relative to one another to deposit the weld bead along a predetermined weld path.

Abstract: A method for making a gas turbine engine component includes the steps of: providing an unfinished gas turbine engine component; directing a laser beam on a selected surface portion of the engine component to prepare the selected surface portion before at least one of a subsequent coating and bonding step; and depositing at least one layer of an abradable material, a subassembly of the component or a thermal barrier coating on the selected surface portion.

Abstract: A method for making a gas turbine engine component includes the steps of: providing an unfinished gas turbine engine component; and selectively patterning a selected surface portion of the engine component by focusing a laser beam on the selected surface portion to improve lubricant distribution between the patterned surface of the engine component and a surface of another engine component in contact with the patterned surface during engine operation.

Abstract: A method for making a gas turbine engine component includes the steps of: providing an unfinished gas turbine engine component; directing a laser beam on a selected surface portion of the engine component to prepare the selected surface portion before at least one of a subsequent coating and bonding step; and depositing at least one layer of an abradable material, a subassembly of the component or a thermal barrier coating on the selected surface portion.