GE has announced an innovative manufacturing machine designed to produce gas turbine parts using 'Laser Microjet' technology, a pioneering laser-cutting method. The development of this machine comes from GE's partnership with Synova, a Swiss provider of innovative laser-cutting systems, and the use of high-precision machining technology from Makino Milling Machine, a Japanese manufacturer of advanced machine tools.
The new machine will significantly reduce the time required to produce cooling holes in turbomachinery components, and will enable further development of GE's cooling technologies to improve gas turbine performance and extend parts life. This technology is being utilised for GE's latest gas turbine products as well as the company's aircraft engine production process.
Some turbomachinery components, such as those in the hot gas path, are exposed to temperatures of more than 1300°C (2400°F), requiring the use of special materials such as thermal barrier coatings. The new machine provides precise through hole drilling in these materials, which plays a critical role in providing cool airflow to components. The technique is said to combine the advantages of water and laser cutting into one operation. The laser beam is entirely contained within the water jet as a parallel beam, similar in principle to the optical fibre. This facilitates accurate cutting of porous or layered materials with minimal thermal and structural distortion. It combines Makino's precision machine technology with GE's fine-hole drilling software.
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