General Electric Company
Hole drilling elastically deformed superalloy turbine blade

Abstract:

A fixture for drilling a hole in a superalloy turbine blade includes a mount to selectively hold a root of the superalloy turbine blade with the superalloy turbine blade extending from the mount. The fixture may also include an actuator to apply a force to elastically deform at least a portion of the superalloy turbine blade when held by the mount from a relaxed, initial position to an elastically deformed position, the at least a portion of the superalloy turbine blade having a curvature in the elastically deformed position not present in the relaxed, initial position. The fixture may also include a drill guide configured to guide a drilling element into the superalloy turbine blade in the elastically deformed position.