Fabricating composite metallic components

Abstract

A method of fabricating a composite component is provided. The method includes manufacturing a cast metallic component including a surface and defining an attachment point along the surface, placing a fugitive mold defining an element feature against the surface such that the element feature aligns with the attachment point, filling the element feature with powdered metallic material and heating the cast metallic component and the powdered metallic material to a temperature above a sintering temperature of the powdered metallic material and below a melting temperature of the cast metallic component.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of fabricating a composite component, the method comprising:
 manufacturing a cast metallic component comprising a surface and defining an attachment point along the surface;   placing a fugitive mold defining an element feature against the surface such that the element feature aligns with the attachment point;   filling the element feature with powdered metallic material; and   heating the cast metallic component and the powdered metallic material to a temperature above a sintering temperature of the powdered metallic material and below a melting temperature of the cast metallic component.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the attachment point has undercut features, and   the undercut features comprise one or more of dovetails, zig-zags, spirals, curves and multi-directional extrusions.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the cast metallic component comprises a fastening element for fastening a sintered element to the cast metallic component at the attachment point. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the element feature comprises an opening with protruding undercuts. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 continuing the heating until the powdered metallic material is cured into an element attached to the surface at the attachment point; and   removing a remainder of the fugitive mold following the heating.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the heating results in up to 15% shrinkage of the element from a volume of the powdered metallic material at the attachment point. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , further comprising designing the attachment point such that the element tightens onto the cast metallic component during the heating. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the attachment point is designed such that the element has a tooth-root shape. 
     
     
         9 . A method of fabricating a composite component, the method comprising:
 manufacturing a cast metallic component comprising a surface and defining dovetail-shaped attachment points along the surface;   placing a fugitive mold defining openings with protruding undercuts against the surface such that each opening aligns with a corresponding one of the dovetail-shaped attachment points;   filling the openings with powdered metallic material; and   heating the cast metallic component and the powdered metallic material to a temperature above a sintering temperature of the powdered metallic material and below a melting temperature of the cast metallic component.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 each dovetail-shaped attachment point comprises a neck section proximate to an uppermost portion of the surface and a tapered section having an increasing width with increasing depth from the neck section, and   each opening has a diameter which corresponds to a diameter of the neck section of the corresponding one of the dovetail-shaped attachment points.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein each opening is corrugated. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the cast metallic component comprises one or more fastening elements for fastening one or more sintered elements to the cast metallic component at one or more of the attachment points. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 continuing the heating until the powdered metallic material is cured into elements attached to the surface at each of the attachment points; and   removing a remainder of the fugitive mold following the heating.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the heating results in up to 15% shrinkage of the elements from a volume of the powdered metallic material at each of the attachment points. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising designing the attachment points such that each of the elements tighten onto the cast metallic component during the heating. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the attachment points are designed such that the elements have tooth-root shape. 
     
     
         17 . A composite component, comprising:
 a cast metallic component comprising a surface and defining attachment points along the surface;   elements of sintered powdered metallic material respectively comprising first and second parts,   the first parts being respectively secured in a corresponding one of the attachment points,   the second parts extending outwardly from corresponding ones of the first parts to protrude from the surface, and   the first and second parts cooperatively forming a tooth-root shape.   
     
     
         18 . The composite component according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the attachment points each comprise attachment features that extend into the cast metallic component curvi-linearly outwardly, and   the first parts of each of the elements comprise sintered attachment protrusions that extend into the cast metallic component curvi-linearly outwardly.   
     
     
         19 . The composite component according to  claim 17 , wherein the second parts of each of the elements are corrugated. 
     
     
         20 . The composite component according to  claim 17 , wherein each of the first parts has a lesser volume than the corresponding one of the attachment points.