Abstract: System and method for an integrated production tracking and pay rate calculation system are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the production tracking and pay rate calculation system of the present invention is an automated tool for helping control labor costs and for interfacing with payroll as well as a time clock. The system evaluates department and employee productivity by tracking production of all products and hours worked by all employees. The system is designed to enable calculation of a cost per unit based on multiple employee skill levels and production units per hour, per function, and per product type. The summation of the cost per unit for all of the functions for one product, plus any overhead labor expenses, equates to a total labor cost for that product.

Abstract: Gas turbine engines employ a variety of abradable liners to decrease the clearance between the rotating components and the surrounding casing. There is normally a trade-off between porosity, (and concomitant permeability) and the abradability of the liner material, such that materials with good abradability are permeable to gas flow--resulting in performance losses. Permeability of porous liners is decreased by infiltrating the liner with a low-viscosity liquid containing a metal or metal oxide. After infiltration, the viscosity of the liquid is substantially increased to prevent its egress from the porous liner. Thereafter, the liner is heated at an elevated temperature to drive off the remaining liquid and provide an oxide which blocks the passages and decreases the permeability of the liner.

Abstract: A method for the production of brush seals, by first forming a linear array of contiguous, parallely aligned brush elements. The elements, each containing a multitude of bristles, are aligned in a resilient, linear support, in which the long axis of the bristles are parallel to each other. The resultant, resiliently supported array of brush elements is easily contoured to various arcuate shapes. For effecting a seal between the rotating elements of a turbine engine, the linear array is contoured in the form of a circular array, in which the free ends of the bristles in the array are joined to an annular backing ring.