METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A COMPRESSOR IMPELLER

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a compressor impeller wherein the compressor impeller is cast using a mold. As a first alternative, the mold is made using 3D printing. As a second alternative, a model of the compressor impeller is made using 3D printing, and the mold is then made on the basis of said model.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a compressor impeller, the method comprising: casting the compressor impeller with the aid of a casting mold, wherein the casting mold is manufactured by means of 3-D printing, or a pattern of the compressor impeller is established by means of 3-D printing, the casting mold then being manufactured by means of said pattern.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the casting mold comprises at least one casting core which is manufactured by means of 3-D printing, or which is manufactured based on a pattern which is established by means of 3-D printing.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the casting mold is a lost mold.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compressor impeller is cast by means of a ceramics casting method or by means of a sand casting method or by means of a precision casting method.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a lost pattern is used as the pattern for establishing the casting mold.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] In the figures:

[0013] FIG. 1 shows a flow diagram for a first exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention;

[0014] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram for a second exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

[0015] A first exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention in which a compressor impeller is manufactured by means of a sand casting method is described hereunder with reference to FIG. 1.

[0016] In the first step S1 of the sand casting method of the first exemplary embodiment, a sand mold for the casting is manufactured by means of 3-D printing. Stored 3-D data which represents the contour of the negative of the compressor impeller to be cast is used for 3-D printing. By layering sand particles, the mold can be manufactured in a reproducible manner in 3-D printing, or mold parts that are subsequently assembled to form the mold can be manufactured in a reproducible manner. Mold parts of the mold herein can be either different portions of the mold and/or casting cores that are to be inserted into the mold.

[0017] In step S2, liquid metal from which the compressor impeller is to be manufactured is poured into the mold through a filler opening. Metals such as, for example, titanium, aluminum, or steel are to be considered.

[0018] Upon solidification of the metal that has been poured into the mold, the mold is removed from the compressor impeller in step S3, the mold being destroyed therein, which is why the mold is a lost mold.

[0019] A second exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention will be described hereunder with reference to FIG. 2. In this exemplary embodiment, it is not the casting mold per se but a pattern of the compressor impeller that is used for manufacturing the casting mold that is manufactured by means of 3-D printing. Accordingly, the first step S11 of the method according to the second exemplary embodiment is the manufacturing of a compressor impeller pattern by means of 3-D printing, wherein stored 3-D data which represents the contour of the compressor impeller is used, so as to construct the compressor impeller pattern in a layer-by-layer manner from a plastics material, a wax, or a metal, for example. In the present exemplary embodiment, the compressor impeller pattern is constructed in layers from a polymer material which can be thermally or chemically decomposed.

[0020] In step S12, the model is surrounded using a plurality of sequentially applied ceramics layers and subsequently fired, the pattern being thermally decomposed therein. This too is a lost pattern.

[0021] Once the ceramics casting pattern has been fired and the pattern thermally decomposed therein, the metal from which the compressor impeller is to be manufactured is poured into the ceramics casting mold in step S13. As in the first embodiment, steel, aluminum, or titanium are to be considered as suitable metals, for example.

[0022] Upon solidification of the metal, the ceramics casting mold is removed from the compressor impeller in step S14, the ceramics casting mold being destroyed therein.

[0023] The present invention for the purpose of explanation has been explained in more detail by means of two exemplary embodiments. However, a person skilled in the art will be aware that deviations from the exemplary embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention. For example, instead of a chemically or thermally decomposable plastics material used for manufacturing the compressor impeller pattern in the second exemplary embodiment, a plastics material, a wax, or a metal which can be removed from the solidified ceramics mold by melting can thus be used. This offers the advantage that the material removed by melting can be used for manufacturing further compressor impeller patterns. The present invention is therefore not intended to be limited exclusively by the combination of features of individual exemplary embodiments, but only by the appended claims.