System and method for adjusting performance of manaufacturing operations or steps

Abstract

A manufacturing system and manufacturing method for adjusting the performance of manufacturing operations or steps in manufacturing components having three-dimensional external structural characteristics. An embodiment of the system broadly comprises: (a) a plurality of manufacturing operations for processing a component having three-dimensional external structural characteristics; (b) at least one analytical device for analyzing at least one characteristic of the component after the performance of one or more manufacturing operations to generate a component data set; (c) at least one data storage device for storing the generated component data sets and for providing at least a relevant portion of accumulated component data; and (d) a communication mechanism for transmitting at least a relevant portion of accumulated component data to one or more manufacturing operations so that the performance thereof can be adjusted in response to the transmitted portion of accumulated component data. An embodiment of the method broadly comprises the following steps: (a) providing a component having three-dimensional external structural characteristics; (b) providing at least a relevant portion of accumulated component data comprising at least two different component data sets; and (c) performing a manufacturing step on the component to provide a processed component, wherein the at least relevant portion of accumulated component data is used to adjust the manner in which the manufacturing step is performed.

1 . A manufacturing method comprising the following steps:
 (a) providing a component having three-dimensional external structural characteristics;   (b) providing at least a relevant portion of accumulated component data comprising at least two different component data sets; and   (c) performing a manufacturing step on the component to provide a processed component, wherein the at least relevant portion of accumulated component data is used to adjust the manner in which the manufacturing step is performed.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the component further includes three-dimensional internal characteristics. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the component is a turbine component. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the turbine component comprises an airfoil having one or more internal cooling passages. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the manufacturing step comprises one or more of machining, drilling, boring, milling, grinding, reaming, cutting, finishing, fabricating, assembling, shaping, forging, casting, welding, coating, testing or evaluating. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (b) is carried out by providing a relevant portion of accumulated component data that comprises a component data set obtained prior to the performance of any of the manufacturing steps, and one or more component data sets obtained after the performance of at least one manufacturing step. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein steps (a) through (c) are repeated one or more times after step (c). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein steps (a) through (c) are repeated each time after step (c) until a final manufactured component is obtained. 
     
     
         9 . A manufacturing system comprising:
 (a) a plurality of manufacturing operations for processing a component having three-dimensional external structural characteristics;   (b) at least one analytical device for analyzing at least one characteristic of the component after the performance of one or more manufacturing operations to generate a component data set;   (c) at least one data storage device for storing the generated component data sets and for providing at least a relevant portion of accumulated component data; and   (d) a communication mechanism for transmitting at least a relevant portion of accumulated component data to one or more manufacturing operations so that the performance thereof can be adjusted in response to the transmitted portion of accumulated component data.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the plurality of manufacturing operations comprise one or more of machining, drilling, boring, milling, grinding, reaming, cutting, finishing, fabricating, assembling, shaping, forging, casting, welding, coating, or testing. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the plurality of manufacturing operations are carried out at the same manufacturing station, a plurality of manufacturing stations, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the at least one analytical device analyzes at least one characteristic of the component after the performance of each manufacturing operation. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the plurality of manufacturing operations process a component having three-dimensional external and internal structural characteristics, and wherein the at least one analytical device analyzes a plurality of the external and internal characteristics of the component 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the at least one data storage device comprises a central computer processing facility. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the communications mechanism for transmitting the relevant portion of accumulated component data comprises a computerized electronic network connected to each of the central computer processing facility, the at least one analytical device and one or more manufacturing operations. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the computerized electronic network is connected to each manufacturing operation. 
     
     
         17 . A manufacturing method comprising the following steps:
 (a) providing a component form for obtaining a processed component having three-dimensional internal structural characteristics;   (b) providing at least a relevant portion of a component form data set;   (c) performing a first manufacturing step on the component form to provide a processed component, wherein the at least relevant portion of the component form data set is used to adjust the manner in which the first manufacturing step is performed;   (d) analyzing the processed component to provide a processed component data set;   (e) combining the component form data set with the processed component data set to provide accumulated component data;   (f) performing a second manufacturing step on the processed component, wherein at least a relevant portion of accumulated component data is used to adjust the manner in which the second manufacturing step is performed; and   (g) repeating steps (d) through (f) after step (f) one or more times until a final manufactured component is obtained.   
     
     
         18 . The method  claim 17  wherein the component form provided in step (a) further includes internal three-dimensional structural characteristics. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the component form provided in step (a) is a turbine component form. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the turbine component form provided in step (a) is a cast airfoil form comprising an airfoil having one or more internal cooling passages and a blank root portion extending from the airfoil. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein step (c) comprises forming a dovetail in the blank root portion to provide a dovetail-containing turbine component, wherein step (f) comprises drilling holes in the airfoil of the dovetail-containing turbine component of step (c) to connect the drilled holes to the one or more internal cooling passages to provide a drilled turbine component, and wherein step (g) is repeated so as to carryout the additional manufacturing step (h) which comprises applying a protective coating to one or more of the external surface of the airfoil and the internal surface of the airfoil of the drilled turbine component of step (g). 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein step (g) is repeated so as to carryout the additional manufacturing step (i) which comprises evaluating prior to step (h) the in process airflow of the drilled turbine component of step (g). 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein step (c) is carried out by grinding the dovetail in the blank root portion. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein step (f) is carried out by laser drilling. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the accumulated component data of step (e) is located on a central computer processing facility and wherein the least relevant portion of accumulated component data of step (f) is transmitted by a computerized electronic network from the computer processing facility to the second manufacturing step. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 17  wherein step (g) comprises repeating steps (d) through (f) each time after step (f) until a final manufactured component is obtained.