Methods of manufacturing or repairing a turbine blade or vane are described. The airfoil portions of these turbine components are typically manufactured by casting in a ceramic mold, and a surface made up of the cast airfoil and at the least the ceramic core serves as a build surface for a subsequent process of additively manufacturing the tip portions. The build surface is created by removing a top portion of the airfoil and the core, or by placing an ultra-thin shim on top of the airfoil and the core. The overhang projected by the shim is subsequently removed. These methods are not limited to turbine engine applications, but can be applied to any metallic object that can benefit from casting and additive manufacturing processes. The present disclosure also relates to finished and intermediate products prepared by these methods.

Methods of manufacturing or repairing a turbine blade or vane are described. The airfoil portions of these turbine components are typically manufactured by casting in a ceramic mold, and a surface made up of the cast airfoil and at the least the ceramic core serves as a build surface for a subsequent process of additively manufacturing the tip portions. The build surface is created by removing a top portion of the airfoil and the core, or by placing an ultra-thin shim on top of the airfoil and the core. The overhang projected by the shim is subsequently removed. These methods are not limited to turbine engine applications, but can be applied to any metallic object that can benefit from casting and additive manufacturing processes. The present disclosure also relates to finished and intermediate products prepared by these methods.

A method and device for retaining position of a consumable core during composite article manufacturing is taught herein by inserting a consumable core having a consumable core body and a plurality of retention artifacts into a composite precursor hollow feature of a composite precursor structure. Then positioning the consumable core such that the plurality of retention artifacts projecting from the consumable core exterior surface at least partially engage with a substantially spatially replicate surface geometry in the composite precursor hollow feature. The consumable core is then consumed as a soluble infiltrant to form a composite article.

A fuel manifold (10) configured to form a base support structure (12) to support a plurality of fuel nozzles (14) in a combustor of a gas turbine engine is provided. The fuel manifold includes stage fuel galleries (16, 18), and fuel feed bosses (20, 22) may be configured to connect to respective tubes arranged to deliver gas fuel to the stage fuel galleries (16. 18). Fuel feed bosses (20, 22) are integrally formed with base support structure (12) and this allows the body of fuel manifold (10) to be free of weld joints for affixing the fuel feed boss to the base support structure.

Casting method and cast manifold are provided. The method allows configuring conduits, such as conduits (46, 48) in a fuel feed boss (20) and/or a base rocket (13), which are part of the manifold for removing a ceramic core (44) from the cast without forming extraneous holes in the body of the manifold. Absence of such extraneous holes in turn allows eliminating sealing plugs and welds, which otherwise would be needed for sealing the extraneous holes.

A method of forming a component having an internal passage defined therein includes forming a precursor core having a shape corresponding to a shape of the internal passage, and forming a hollow structure around the precursor core. The method also includes removing the precursor core from within the hollow structure, and disposing an inner core within the hollow structure to form a jacketed core. The method further includes positioning the jacketed core with respect to a mold, and introducing a component material in a molten state into a cavity of the mold, such that the component material in the molten state at least partially absorbs the hollow structure from a portion of the jacketed core within the cavity. Additionally, the method includes cooling the component material in the cavity to form the component. The inner core defines the internal passage within the component.

An apparatus and method for an investment casting core for forming a cast airfoil extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge to define a chord-wise direction and extending between a root and a tip to define a span-wise direction, with an internal passage including at least one leach hole formed from the investment casting core.

A casting article according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a circuit forming portion and an interior channel formed inside of the circuit forming portion. The interior channel defines a leaching path that extends at least partially through the circuit forming portion.

A method of forming a component includes the steps of placing a core into a mold and pouring a component material around the core. The component material is allowed to solidify. The core is then removed from within the material, leaving a component having at least a first and a second cavity formed by the core. A first filler material is moved into the first cavity, and a second filler material is moved into the second cavity. The component is inspected for the presence of an apparent residual core within the first cavity and the second cavity. The location is identified of the apparent residual core from the core based upon an identification of whether the location of the apparent residual core is in the first or second filler materials. A method of inspecting a component formed by investment casting is also disclosed.

An apparatus relating to engineering the geometry for a ball-chute support feature in an investment casting core. The investment casting core is for an airfoil region having at least one serpentine feature and at least one inlet feature coupled to the at least one serpentine feature by a ball-chute support feature. The investment casting core is leached out to form cooling passages in the airfoil.