Method and system for cutting a preform intended for the production of a turbomachine part

• US 10,035,226 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2013
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Aircraft Engine Company
• Original Assignee: Snecma (Safran SA)
• Inventors: Marchal, Yann, Marolle, Philippe, Rousseau, Claire
• Primary Examiner(s): WILENSKY, MOSHE K
• Application Number:
  US14/414,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20150165571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,855 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/02 turbine or like blades from one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 11/16 comprising fillers or reinforcement non-woven fabrics per se D04H1/00, D04H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/282 Selecting composite materials, e.g. blades with reinforcing filaments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49332 Propeller making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49995 Shaping one-piece blank by removing material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/141 With means to monitor and control operation [e.g., self-regulating means]

Abstract

A method for cutting a preform usable for production of a turbomachine part and including a weaving of a plurality of threads, the threads including single threads that are visually identifiable, along a cutting contour calculated based on a preform model in which the threads have a reference arrangement, the method including: taking an image of the preform; processing the image to determine a deviation in an arrangement of the threads which are visually identifiable relative to the reference layout; correcting the cutting contour according to the deviation; and cutting the preform along the corrected cutting contour.

Claims

1. A method for cutting, by a cutting machine, a preform usable to produce a turbomachine part and including weaving a plurality of weaving threads, the weaving threads comprising visually identifiable threads, the machine being adjusted to make a cutting of the preform according to a cutting contour, the method comprising:

taking an image of the preform;

processing the image to identify at least one point of reference in the weaving of the preform, said point of reference corresponding to an intersection of visually identifiable threads in the preform, the cutting machine automatically correcting its position relative to the preform, from the identification of the point of reference; and

cutting the preform according to the cutting contour,

wherein the method is free of manual adjusting of the preform by an operator prior to the cutting.

2. A method for cutting a preform usable to produce a turbomachine part and including weaving of a plurality of weaving threads, the weaving threads including visually identifiable threads, according to a cutting contour calculated from a preform model wherein the weaving threads present a reference layout, the method comprising:

taking an image of the preform;

processing the image to determine a deviation in a layout of the visually identifiable weaving threads relative to the reference layout;

correcting the cutting contour as a function of the deviation; and

cutting the preform according to the corrected cutting contour,

wherein the method is free of manual adjusting of the preform by an operator prior to the cutting.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

the weaving threads include threads arranged according to a longitudinal axis of the preform and threads arranged according to a transversal axis of the preform; and

the reference layout is a layout wherein the longitudinal threads are arranged orthogonally to the transversal threads.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the processing includes determining a curve of one of the visually identifiable threads in the preform, and comparing the curve of the one of the visually identifiable threads in the preform to a theoretical curve of the reference layout to determine the deviation.

5. A method for manufacturing a turbomachine part, wherein a preform is cut out of the part, and cutting of the preform is carried out according to a method according to claim 2, the piece being selected from:

a vane, a fan platform, a wedge, a nozzle guide vane, or a propeller.

6. A method for cuffing, by a cutting machine, a preform usable to produce a turbomachine part and including weaving a plurality of weaving threads, the weaving threads including visually identifiable threads, the machine being adjusted to make a cutting of the preform according to a cutting contour, whereof a form is calculated by supposing that the weaving threads present a reference layout, the method comprising:

automatically correcting positioning of the cutting machine relative to the preform; and

correcting the cutting contour, according to claim 2.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

taking an image of the preform,

processing the image so as to identify at least one point of reference in the weaving of the preform, the cutting machine automatically correcting its position relative to the preform, from the identification of the point of reference.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

taking an image of the preform,

processing the image so as to identify at least one point of reference in the weaving of the preform, the point of reference corresponding to the intersection of visually identifiable threads, the cutting machine automatically correcting its position relative to the preform, from the identification of the point of reference.