Narrative
Research at the University of Manchester on laser cleaning of Ti alloys has resulted in practical implementation of the technology at Rolls-Royce for the automatic preparation of surfaces prior to electron beam welding. This has been applied to 24 different aero-engine component types including compressor drums across most current engine families. This has resulted in close to 100% ‘first time right’ aero-engine component welds. The technology is also being adopted by BAE Systems to replace chemical cleaning during airframe manufacture. The elimination of manual and chemical cleaning processes results in savings of several million pounds per annum.| Impact date | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Category of impact | Economic, Technological |
| Impact level | Adoption |
Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms
- Advanced materials
Related content
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Research output
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Preliminary study into the effects of YAG laser processing of titanium 6Al-4V alloy for potential aerospace component cleaning application
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Comparative interaction mechanisms for different laser systems with selected materials on titanium alloys
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Monitoring laser cleaning of titanium alloys by probe beam reflection and emission spectroscopy
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Comparison of mechanisms and effects of Nd:YAG and CO2 laser cleaning of titanium alloys
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Investigation into CO2 laser cleaning of titanium alloys for gas-turbine component manufacture
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review