TsAGI Creates Advanced NC Machining Technology
20 December 2022
Developing advanced aircraft requires new approaches towards manufacturing structural units. A cutting-edge trend is the application of titanium alloys, for example, for creating large-scale free flight models—technology demonstrators. Numerically controlled milling of details is an urgent task in the area. TsAGI (a part of NRC “Zhukovsky Institute”) Research-and-Manufacturing Center is working to create the technologies.
A good example is technology of manufacturing titanium-alloy thin-wall wide-chord moving blades of advanced gas-turbine engine compressor. The work was remarked with Moscow Region Governor’s Award in Science, Technologies and Innovations for Young Scientists and Specialists.
The core of the technology proposed by TsAGI engineers is the application of quick-release vibration damper for the model which increases efficiency of milling. ‘In engine, compressor blades are highly important, so there are very strict technical requirements to the quality and precision of manufacturing. However, the efficiency of NC milling is rather limited by vibrations of model at high-speed cutting. For example, the surface and geometry precision may be compromised,’ says Vladimir Pupchin, Engineer at Research-and-Manufacturing Center, TsAGI.
The technology created by the Institute suggests using a universal mounted vibration damper that dissipates the energy of vibrating model. Additionally, special units and vacuum mounts were developed to fix and adjust NC equipment.
TsAGI specialists did a preliminary assessment of cutting force and milling cutter frequency impact on the model; they also determined the best values of cutting velocity and the basic technological parameters of milling. Also, methods were developed to optimize structural parameters of the dampers for typical ranges of rigidity and weight of the models milled.