A holding fixture includes a first blade support assembly and a second blade support assembly. The second blade support assembly is spaced at a distance from the first blade support assembly and includes a base plate removably mounted to a milling machine, an adjustable conic support connectable to the base plate via a spacer block, and a blade adjustment assembly movable to control a pressure applied by the blade adjustment assembly.

Tooling assemblies and methods for using a tooling assembly to shape an article are provided. For example, a tooling assembly has a forward end and an aft end and comprises a first tool segment, a second tool segment, a forward cam portion near the forward end, and an aft cam portion near the aft end. The forward cam portion defines a follower surface, and at least a portion of the follower surface has a curvilinear profile. The aft cam portion defines a first surface extending at a first angle and a second surface extending at a second angle. The first and second tool segments define a cavity for shaping an article. An exemplary method comprises positioning an article preform within the cavity and inserting a fastener within the aft end of the tooling assembly until the fastener is fully inserted within the tooling assembly.

A method of fabricating a baffle for a gas turbine engine component includes providing a baffle that has a baffle wall that circumscribes an open interior region, the baffle wall defining two datum features, wherein at least one of the two datum features is semi-spherical, establishing a fixed reference position of the baffle in a fixture by engaging the two datum features with two corresponding locators on the fixture, and performing at least one operation on the baffle that is dependent upon the reference position.

Disclosed is a root end element for attachment to a root end of a wind turbine blade, a root end manipulator configured to manipulate a wind turbine blade, and a blade manipulation system comprising the root end element and the root end manipulator. The root end element being configured to support the root end of the wind turbine blade.

An apparatus for machining a component is provided. The apparatus includes a fixation mechanism, wherein the fixation mechanism includes a first fixation member with a first fixation face and a second fixation member with a second fixation face, wherein the first fixation face and the second fixation face are arranged and configured such that different bearing surfaces of a plurality of different components can be fixed between the first fixation member and the second fixation member, wherein the apparatus further includes a machining device, and wherein the apparatus is configured to machine a machining surface of the respective component by means of the machining device and according to a predetermined accuracy. Further, a method of machining the component is presented.

A magnetorheological support method for blisk processing is disclosed. In the method, a fork structure and a soft film are used to wrap magnetorheological fluid. The magnetorheological fluid is used for flow filling under certain pressure. The bulged soft film can conduct shape matching on the surface of a blisk blade. The magnetorheological fluid can be cured through magnetic field excitation, thereby ensuring the flexible support for a weak rigid component. Electric permanent magnets are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the fork structure to construct a uniform magnetic field that can realize a global excitation of magnetorheological fluid, so that the magnetorheological fluid works in a shear mode to achieve damping force controlling by magnetic field. The solid-liquid conversion of the magnetorheological fluid is controlled by an electric permanent magnet field.

A method of fabricating a baffle for a gas turbine engine component includes providing a baffle that has a baffle wall that circumscribes an open interior region, the baffle wall defining two datum features, wherein at least one of the two datum features is semi-spherical, establishing a fixed reference position of the baffle in a fixture by engaging the two datum features with two corresponding locators on the fixture, and performing at least one operation on the baffle that is dependent upon the reference position.

A zero clamp force fixture assembly may comprise a body comprising a locating surface and a side, a neck extending away from the side of the body, a zero force clamp coupled to the neck, and a universal locating feature coupled to the locating surface. The neck may taper towards an interface with the zero force clamp. The zero force clamp may comprise an upper jaw and a lower jaw.

A magnetorheological support method for blisk processing is disclosed. In the method, a fork structure and a soft film are used to wrap magnetorheological fluid. The magnetorheological fluid is used for flow filling under certain pressure. The bulged soft film can conduct shape matching on the surface of a blisk blade. The magnetorheological fluid can be cured through magnetic field excitation, thereby ensuring the flexible support for a weak rigid component. Electric permanent magnets are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the fork structure to construct a uniform magnetic field that can realize a global excitation of magnetorheological fluid, so that the magnetorheological fluid works in a shear mode to achieve damping force controlling by magnetic field. The solid-liquid conversion of the magnetorheological fluid is controlled by an electric permanent magnet field.

Disclosed is a method for machining a component, comprising: installing the component on a fixture, causing a medium of the fixture to solidify to encase a first portion of the component, applying a toolset to a second portion of the component that is outside of the solidified medium, and subsequent to applying the toolset, extracting the component from the fixture when the medium is in one of a liquid state or a semi-liquid state, where the medium has a melting-point temperature that is less than 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Disclosed is a fixture for machining a component, comprising: a medium configured to encase a first portion of the component when the medium is in a solidified state, and a toolset configured to be applied to a second portion of the component that is outside of the solidified medium, the medium having a melting-point temperature that is less than 500 degrees Fahrenheit.