Aircraft Engine Blade Material Selection and Machining Processes

Aircraft engine blades are core components of aero engines, and their performance directly affects the engines efficiency, safety, and reliability. Blade materials must possess high strength, high-temperature resistance, creep resistance, and corrosion resistance. The main materials currently used are:
1. High-temperature alloys, such as nickel-based alloys (e.g., INCONEL, Waspaloy), suitable for high-temperature components such as turbine blades;
2. Titanium alloys (e.g., Ti6Al4V), used for fan/compressor blades, balancing lightweighting and strength;
3. Composite materials, such as carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin, mainly used for fan blades, which can significantly reduce weight and improve efficiency.

In addition, intermetallic compounds (such as titanium aluminides) are emerging materials that are expected to further improve temperature resistance.

In terms of machining processes, blade manufacturing technology is complex and precise:

CNC Machining: Five-axis linkage milling is used for complex surface forming, emphasizing high-speed cutting and chatter suppression technology.

Precision Forging: Used to generate high-precision blanks, maintaining the integrity of metal streamlines and reducing subsequent machining allowance.

Special Processes: Including superplastic forming/diffusion bonding (for titanium alloy hollow blades) and investment precision casting (for directionally solidified/single-crystal turbine blades).

Surface Treatment and Inspection: Involving electrolytic polishing, shot peening, and non-destructive testing methods such as eddy current testing and coordinate measuring machine (CMM) measurements to ensure no defects.

The selection of these materials and processes aims to balance performance, weight, and reliability, adapting to the extreme operating environments of different engine parts (e.g., high-temperature turbines vs. cold-end fans).