Stator Blade Machining

[bimbo666]

Hi Dear Team,<?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />


I'm facing upa machining challenge, it's about a machining a blade section of a stator prototype on aluminum, but I really know that the expert aerospace manufacturing engineers do that on a 5-axisCNC milling, right now the companythat I'm working on is new one on all this kind of metalworking, so we're evaluating all the parameters that the process has, to do a future5-axis CNC millinginvestment.


The way Idid all the manufacturing of this prototype was onamilling machinewith a 4-axisrotary indexer, but I did itin 4 zones, each one around 90 degrees, I mean machining all the surfaces that the blade has on a virtual circular quadrant, then I indexed my attachment another 90 degrees and continues the cutting until would be finished.


I wanna know about all the expertise that the manufacturing guys over this forum have, if was a good or bad manufacturing strategie, and if it's bad, which strategie can I use to manufacturing another prototype, using the CNC and the atachmenet I have right now.


Also I wanna know if somebody have experience on the fixture that is used to machine this kind of blades, so if somebody can explain me the rightprogramming strategie


I really appreciate the kindness of any help given


Attached you'll find the stp file, from the model that was machined.














2009-04-16_164103_Ala4p2.zip


Best Regards


Pablo Ulloa

 

[marker4x4]

You don't really need 5-axis machine to do that kind of job. Full-four rotary table will do just fine; your machine becomes sort of 3D "lathe", where you spin the blade back and forth thus keep your cutter (usually ballnose) at constant angle tothe blade's surface, thus avoid"dead" cuts with the tool's tip.


If you're using indexer though, then your approach isprobably fine too; just make sure you plan your job as to avoid machining thin sections (chatter).


I hope it helps