Current commercially available systems for pulsed gas metal arc welding (GMAW-P) monitor electrical characteristics of the arc and attempt to compensate for process deviations by pulsing current at a constant frequency. For highly critical GMAW-P applications in challenging materials like… More

IBRs represent a great advance for military aero-engine performance. However increased performance has its price: high manufacturing costs and difficulty with in-service repair. Linear friction welding (LFW) and/or high speed machining have reduced manufacturing costs, but service repairs are… More

Integrally Bladed Rotors - IBRs - are an important part of current and future military aeroengines. The use of IBR allows lower weight rotors with decreased drag and improved compressor efficiency. Repair of these parts however is currently problematic. The overarching objective of the Phase II… More

Machining of titanium parts from wrought stock costs as much as $1000 to $1500 per pound of finished component and has material lead times up to one year. Electron beam deposition, or e-BAM, seeks to dramatically reduce these costs and lead times. However, this is not possible without IPQA… More

This project proposes the use of non-imaging optical measurement to discern the weld pool oscillations occurring during electron beam deposition, and thereby to infer the weld pool size. By knowing this weld pool size, it is possible to control the e-beam deposition process by suitably regulating… More