Abstract: A pre-weld heat treatment of the nickel based superalloy including heating a nickel based superalloy (e.g., IN939) casting to 2120° F. at a rate of 2° F. per minute, and then soaking the casing for one hour at 2120° F. The casting is then cooled in stages including slowly cooling the casting at a rate of 1° F. per minute to about 1900° F. and holding at that temperature for about 10 minutes. Then the casting is further slowly cooled at a rate of 1° F. per minute to about 1800° F. and holding at that temperature for about 10 minutes, and further slowly cooled to a temperature range of 1650° F. to 1450° F., and then fast cooled to room temperature. The pre-weld heat treatment may optionally include a step of heating the casting to about 1850° F. at a rate of 50° F. per minute before slowly heating to 2120° F.

Abstract: A turbine blade assembly includes a turbine blade having a pressure sidewall and an opposed suction sidewall and a first snubber assembly associated with one of the pressure sidewall and the suction sidewall. The first snubber assembly includes a first base portion extending outwardly from the one of the pressure sidewall and the suction sidewall, and a first snubber portion. The first base portion is integrally cast with the turbine blade and includes first connection structure. The first snubber portion is bicast onto the first base portion and includes second connection structure that interacts with the first connection structure to substantially prevent separational movement between the first base portion and the first snubber portion.

Abstract: An investment casting process wherein the wax pattern tool (42) is flexible to provide compliant support for an enclosed ceramic core (10) and to facilitate removal of the tool from the cast wax pattern (52) even when the cast shape would otherwise require multiple pull planes. Positioning pins (106) may extend from the flexible tool to make compliant contact against the core during the wax injection step. The pins may cooperate with a pedestal (128) formed on the core to support the core along multiple axes during wax injection, thereby allowing a higher wax injection pressure without damage to the core.

Abstract: A nickel-based single crystal gas turbine component (30) having a low angle boundary (34) with improved material properties resulting from retained gamma/gamma prime eutectic phase at the low angle boundary. The coarse eutectic phase nodules roughen the grain boundary, reduce the slip distance and disperse concentrated planar slip in the vicinity of the boundary. As a result, the allowable angle of misorientation at the boundary may be increased to greater than 6° for the most highly stressed or critical areas of the component, thereby reducing the amount of scrap material and lowering the cost of manufacturing of a single crystal gas turbine component.

Abstract: A composite turbine disc includes a bore section providing a first set of mechanical and temperature resistance properties, and a rim section which provides a second set of mechanical and temperature resistance properties. The second set of mechanical properties and temperature resistance are superior to the first set of properties. An intermediate diaphragm section is disposed between the bore section and the rim section. The intermediate section has mechanical and temperature resistance properties in a range between the first and second set of properties.

Abstract: A nickel-based single crystal gas turbine component (30) having a low angle boundary (34) with improved material properties resulting from retained gamma/gamma prime eutectic phase at the low angle boundary. The coarse eutectic phase nodules roughen the grain boundary, reduce the slip distance and disperse concentrated planar slip in the vicinity of the boundary. As a result, the allowable angle of misorientation at the boundary may be increased to greater than 6° for the most highly stressed or critical areas of the component, thereby reducing the amount of scrap material and lowering the cost of manufacturing of a single crystal gas turbine component.

Abstract: A process (30) for the repair of a component part (36,66) incorporating a cold spray process step (50) for depositing material particles (54) to fill a discontinuity (40) in the part surface (42) or to create a desired surface geometry (78) on the part (66). The cold spray process may be controlled to provide a grit blasting effect prior to depositing the material in order to remove contaminants (48) from the surface of the part. The material deposited (56) by the cold spray process may form a joint (78) between an insert (72) and the part (66). The process may be used to repair parts made of directionally solidified (DS) or single crystal (SC) base material (44) without causing a re-crystallization of the base material. The process may further be used to deposit repair material (56) over a braze material (22).

Abstract: A process (30) for the repair of a component part (36, 66) incorporating a cold spray process step (50) for depositing material particles (54) to fill a discontinuity (40) in the part surface (42) or to create a desired surface geometry (78) on the part (66). The cold spray process may be controlled to provide a grit blasting effect prior to depositing the material in order to remove contaminants (48) from the surface of the part. The material deposited (56) by the cold spray process may form a joint (78) between an insert (72) and the part (66). The process may be used to repair parts made of directionally solidified (DS) or single crystal (SC) base material (44) without causing a re-crystallization of the base material. The process may further be used to deposit repair material (56) over a braze material (22).