Optomec, Acme Manufacturing Collaborate on Fully Automated Work Cell

Optomec Inc., a 3D metal additive manufacturing (AM) solutions provider, and Acme Manufacturing, a provider of robotic material removal systems, have partnered to produce an industry first, a fully automated work cell initially optimized for repairing aviation compressor blades made of titanium.

The turnkey work cell is the product of a two-year collaboration between the companies, working with input from commercial maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) and U.S. Department of Defense repair centers for aircraft engines. The cell includes an Acme aerospace blade repair system and Optomec’s CS250 TBR atmosphere-controlled, 5-axis system.

The automated work cell has a repair capacity of 85,000 titanium compressor blades per year and is said to provide a compelling ROI when compared to traditional CNC machines and manual TIG welding. Technologies used in the automated work cell, are commercially available today and have been certified by civil aviation authorities around the world.

The entry-level work cell consists of three stations that enable blade tip grinding, 3D additive laser cladding and postclad finishing. The cell also includes an automated pallet load/unload station, a pallet flipping station and a robotic material handling system. Each machine in the work cell is capable of automatically adjusting tool paths to accommodate blade-to-blade variations resulting from normal wear and distortion during service.

The Optomec CS-250 5-axis laser cladding machine will be used to produce high-quality, high -yield precision welds for titanium compressor blades utilizing LENS Directed Energy Deposition (DED) and AutoCLAD advanced vision and adaptive tool-pathing technology in a controlled argon atmosphere.

The Acme Manufacturing MRO blade tip repair machines can be configured for blade tip grinding, weld blending and polishing. The system is equipped with the first of its kind auto path generation, that enables a high-mix, low-volume environment. This technology is 3 to 4 times faster than traditional CNC machines.

Working in tandem, the systems in the work cell are said to provide a productive real-world implementation of Industry 4.0 and digital thread concepts.