Precision Sheet Fabrication for High-Performance Fan Blade and Disk Assemblies

Achieving a high-quality, consistent fit during operation requires precise sheet fabrication of each metal component in a four-piece assembly. This process involves the careful production of fan blades and disks, each with unique challenges that require specialized techniques and expertise.

Fan Blade Production: Overcoming Manufacturing Challenges

The customer-designed fan blades feature four individual bends to improve air intake efficiency and utilize standardized tooling on the press brake, minimizing costs associated with custom tooling. However, two primary challenges arise during the manufacturing process:

Managing Overbends and Underbends: Metal forming naturally results in overbends and underbends. It’s crucial to account for these variations in sheet fabrication to ensure the blades meet the design specifications.

Precise Tab Placement: Each fan blade includes four critical tabs that must be accurately sized and positioned to align with the disk’s corresponding slots.

Leveraging the capabilities of CNC press brakes, our fabrication technicians apply extensive material knowledge and manufacturing experience to consistently match the blade’s design prints, ensuring optimal fit and function.

Disk Production: Precision Laser Cutting for Exact Slot Placement

The production of disks involves laser cutting precise slots, which are crucial for the correct alignment with the fan blade tabs. The placement of these slots must meet tight tolerances to ensure flawless assembly and operation.

By adhering to Ultra’s prototyping standards, we refine the laser cutting process before full-scale production. This allows us to establish the correct programming for the fiber laser, ensuring each disk is cut accurately to the design specifications. To maintain consistent quality, we perform a series of quality checks, including setup inspections and in-process assessments during laser production.

Ensuring Quality and Consistency in Every Assembly

By combining advanced sheet fabrication techniques, expert material handling, and rigorous quality control, we deliver high-performance fan blades and disks that consistently meet the required standards for precision and reliability.