Aerospace production engineers from throughout the country heard all about how Starrag achieves its ‘Engineering precisely what you value’ mission when Starrag UK and sister company TTL unveiled to a UK audience their latest developments in turbine machining technologies.
These ranged from Starrag’s most recent blade and blisk production trends through to the cryogenic cooling of tools (in conjunction with Walter), TTL adaptive machining technologies for aerofoil repairs and how Starrag has combined milling and turning for the complete of turbine casings on a single machine.
Presented at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre with Boeing Rolls-Royce Factory of the Future (AMRC) in Sheffield, the room-full of delegates enjoyed a full agenda of presentations and demonstrations, including an insight into the benefits of the RCS aerofoil milling software and an outline of Starrag’s considerable expertise at developing flexible manufacturing solutions for turbine blades.
In particular, details of the milling and turning of a 500 mm long by 660 mm diameter aero-engine compressor casing (typically Inconel or titanium) with wall thicknesses down to 5 mm on a Starrag STC 800 MT, enthralled the delegation.
The full process, after Vericut simulation, involves milling, turning, internal machining with angle head, back spot facing and measuring. Because of the component size (internal depth), machining was completed in two set-ups.
Likewise, two other presentations were also of particular appeal: by TTL, on the benefits of adaptive machining for blisk repair (rather than scrap); and how the latest (version 7.4) of Starrag’s RCS software has improved routines for snubber machining, trochoidal milling and reduced tool wear – while significantly reducing pre-production programming times.
Blade (above) and blisk (below) machining were themes at Starrag UK’s recent event at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre with Boeing Rolls-Royce Factory of the Future (AMRC) in Sheffield.
