Laser process enables low-cost fix of jet engine blisks. (Materials Progress: Forming/Processing).

A test that validated the Laser Engineered Net Shape (LENS) process for repairing flight-critical aircraft engine components has reportedly been completed by Optomec Inc., Albuquerque, N.M. The company has been funded by the U.S. Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate and the U.S. Navy to design a repair process for General Electric T700 turbine engine blisks. A repaired blisk was spin-tested at speeds up to 60,000 rpm, including a 5000-cycle test to evaluate low-cycle fatigue capability, and it passed all tests without incident. In certain harsh environments, the T700 Engine ...