The first additively manufactured integrally bladed rotor (IBR) was proudly displayed at the Farnborough International Airshow in July. The IBR is a collaboration between the Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory (NDTL), Norsk Titanium (Norsk), Pratt & Whitney and TURBOCAM International as they develop and test additively manufactured turbomachinery components.
This collaboration will focus on exploring the applicability of Norsk’s Rapid Plasma Deposition™ (RPD™) material to turbomachinery applications. As part of this effort, NDTL will test an additively manufactured IBR produced and inspected to meet the applicable quality specifications used in Pratt & Whitney’s current turbomachinery components.
The team has completed the initial phase of testing, with TURBOCAM International conducting machining trials of Norsk’s RPD™ material and Pratt & Whitney successfully inspecting the material to the same specification as forged turbomachinery components.
Pictured (Left to Right): Nick Mayer (Norsk), Bob Fagan (NDTL), Mike Canario (CEO, Norsk), Danielle Chrysler (Indiana Office of Defense Development), Brigadier General L. Kip Clark (Headquarters Indiana National Guard), Carl Johnson (Norsk), Tamara Morytko (Chief Operations Officer, Norsk).
Photo courtesy of Norsk Titanium.
Originally published by at turbo.nd.edu on August 03, 2018.