The document discusses the manufacturing process of turbine blades. Nickel and cobalt-based superalloys are commonly used due to their high temperature strength and corrosion resistance. The design process utilizes CAD and CAM software to optimize the blade shape. Investment casting is a key technique, which involves creating a ceramic shell mold around a wax pattern, followed by metal casting. Issues like cracking can arise during casting so blades undergo X-ray inspection to detect internal defects.

1. Department: Metallurgy Engineering
Subject: Metallurgical Operations Seminar
TITLE: (2) Manufacturing Process of Turbine Blade
Aditya Shende (220133121023)
Yash Shinde (220133121025)
GOVERNMENT ENGINEERING COLLEGE
Sector-28, GANDHINAGAR
GUIDED BY : DR. I B DAVE
PROF. D.V. MAHANT

2. Contents
1. Material used for manufacturing
2. Design Process
3. Process of investment casting
4. External and Internal profile of turbine blades
5. Turbine blade work demonstration
6. Turbine Blade Design Process
7. Manufacturing Process
8. Main issues of investment casting of turbine blade
9. Production chart of turbine blade in india
10. Blade Inspection
11. Summary
12. Reference
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3. Material used for manufacturing
▪ Nickel-Based Super alloys: These are the most widely used
materials for turbine blades. They have excellent
high-temperature strength, corrosion resistance, and creep
resistance. Examples include Inconel and Hastelloy alloys.[1]
▪ Cobalt-Based Super alloys: Similar to nickel-based superalloys,
cobalt-based alloys offer high-temperature strength and creep
resistance. They are used in specific applications, such as
aircraft turbine blades.
▪ Titanium Alloys: Titanium alloys are used in some
low-pressure turbine blades due to their high
strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance.
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4. Design process
Designers rely on various software – Such as CAD and CAM
techniques when starting work on investment casting parts and
prototype. Successfully completing the steps of the initial design phase
is critical to a components long –term performance. Prototyping, For
example allows designers to stress test part and determine their
operability in real-world settings.[2]
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5. Process of investment casting[3]
1. Tooling and pattern making
2. Pattern assembly.
3. Deeping and coating.
4. De-waxing or firing.
5. Casting.
6. Shakeout/Fettling/ Knockout.
7. Finishing.
8. Testing and inspection.
9. Packing and Shipping.
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Steps of Investment casting

7. External (a) and Internal (b) profile of
turbine blades [12]
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8. Turbine blade work demonstration
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Turbine Blade Design Process[11]

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Rotor blade & Jet Engine[8,9]

11. Manufacturing process flow chart
The manufacturing of the ceramic core is achieved through injecting ceramic
materials into the ceramic core die, followed by the sintering process. Then the
ceramic core is placed into the wax pattern die where the wax is injected to
obtain the wax pattern. After that, ceramic shell building, dewaxing, sintering,
metal casting, and knocking outare accomplished to get the investment casting
blank. Then inspection is carried out. If the profile or wall thickness is unqualified,
the wax pattern die will be modified and the above process repeated until the
qualified casting is obtained.[4]
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12. Main issues of investment casting of turbine
blade
1. Design and Geometry: Ensuring that the blade design and geometry are
suitable for investment casting is crucial. Complex shapes or thin sections
can lead to issues like cracking or defects during the casting process.
2. Material Selection: Choosing the right material for the turbine blade is
critical for its performance and durability. The material should have the
necessary mechanical properties and resistance to high temperatures.[4]
3. Shell Building: The process of building the ceramic shell around the wax
pattern is crucial. Issues like improper shell thickness, air bubbles, or shell
cracks can lead to defects in the final casting.
4. Melting and Pouring: Achieving the correct melting and pouring
temperatures for the chosen alloy is essential to avoid issues like incomplete
filling or segregation.[5]
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13. Production Chart Of Turbine Blade In India [7]
2015
• Beginning of turbine blades production in India
2018
• Significant growth in production capability
2021
• India emerges as leading manufacturer in the
global turbine blade market
2023
• Projected increase in production capacity and
technological advancements
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14. X- ray inspection of turbine blade[6]
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15. Summary
Manufacturing turbine blades begins with the selection of
high-temperature alloys for their resilience. A meticulous design
process optimizes blade shape and structural integrity using
tools like Finite Element Analysis. Investment casting is a
common technique, involving the creation of ceramic shells
around wax patterns, followed by metal casting. Issues such as
thermal cracking, porosity, and dimensional accuracy can arise
during casting. To ensure quality, X-ray inspection is employed to
detect internal defects non-destructively, guaranteeing the
blades' reliability in demanding environments.
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16. Reference
1) Liu DX, Chen G et al (2003) Aero-engine: the heart of airplane. Aviation Industry Press,Beijing (in Chinese)
2) Peter Beeley “Foundry Technology” A division of Reed Educational and Professional Publishing Ltd 2nd Edition
3) O.P. Khanna, "A Text Book of Foundry Technology", Dhanpat Rai & Sons, 15th Edition, 2011.
4) Turbine blade investment casting die technology by Dinghua Zhang, Yunyong cheng, Ruisong jiang, Neng wan published by
national defence industry press.
5) CHAT GPT (Access on 27 August 2023 19:03 PM )
6) https://youtu.be/7FUcqxO3peQ?feature=shared ( Access on 30 September 2023 5.35 PM )
7) https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/gas-turbine-market ( Access on 30 September 2023 6.25 PM )
8) Bailey, R. & Thompson, M. (2013). Investment Casting. Materials Processing: A Unified Approach to
Processing-Microstructure-Properties, 547-593.
9) Blankenburg, R.T. (1993). Investment casting: A step-by-step guide. Materials & Design, 14(1), 45-49.
10) Investment casting of turbine blades: manufacturing processes and material properties, by K. M. Pandey, S. R. Bakshi, and R.
Srikanth.
11) Turbine blade life extension and component repair circuit gain, by James T. Cruse.
12) Ostanek, J. K. (2014). Improving pin-fin heat transfer predictions using artificial neural networks. Journal of
Turbomachinery, 136(5), 051010.
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