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PRESS RELEASE
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GE and Mitsui Seiki create a 'world's first' with Blue Arc machining technology roughing out super alloys three times faster with 70% tool cost savings
Thursday, 18 May 2017

A 'world's first' in manufacturing has created a commercially viable process to produce critical aerospace type components such as engine blisks and compressor blades from nickel-based super alloys enables them to be rough machined out of solid up to three times faster while saving up to 70 per cent on tooling costs.

The machining operations are being carried out at General Electric Aviation's manufacturing facility in Detroit in partnership with Japanese machine, cell and system builder Mitsui Seiki with its prototype HW63-TD hybrid 5-axis machining centre which is represented in the UK by 2D CNC Machinery based in Hinckley.

The patented Blue Arc process uses electro-erosion to enable ultra-high speed roughing cycles whereby electrical energy creates the spark between the tool and workpiece and strategically melts the material against a programmed cycle which is followed by intense flushing to remove the molten material.

Said Tom Dolan, Vice President Sales and Marketing of Mitsui Seiki (USA): "The process is akin to reverse welding using thermal cutting techniques and opens up a vast array of potential savings for producing traditional difficult-to-machine components across a wide sector of manufacturing such as oil and gas, nuclear, medical and power generation. Blue Arc is also able to reduce the need for expensive, large and high powered machine tools for rough machining thus reducing capital investment costs by up to a third plus the on-going costs attributed to expensive cutting tools."

He follows on to explain how machine tool footprints could be reduced by up to 50 per cent compared to the highly rigid nature of a conventional multi-axis machining centre used for roughing. As Blue Arc, is a low stress operation, it can be utilised using lower levels of rigidity than is required for the likes of milling with deep cuts and heavy profiling.

The prototype hybrid Mitsui Seiki HW63-TD is based on a 5-axis horizontal machining centre while maintaining a standard spindle and components which have been adapted to accommodate the Blue Arc process. The metal removal process is carried out in air with the copper electrode held in the machine spindle which has a pressurised through feed for the electrolyte. Axis strokes for the machine are 1,000 mm in X and 850 mm in Y and Z with Fanuc F30iM-B control.

As the material removal from the workpiece is electro-thermal, it can be up to five times faster than using the more conventional mechanical contacts with cutting tools. The process is not affected by the properties of the material which means lower cost copper electrodes can be used rather than more expensive and less stable carbide or cubic boron nitride (CBN) type tooling.

The latest materials are extremely tough to machine with traditional tooling and the heat generated under cut further reduces the life of the cutting tool which adds to down time and lowering machine utilisation. However, with Blue Arc, any heat affected zone developed in the material being processed would be removed during more conventional semi-finishing or finish machining operations.

Originally developed at GE as a submerged EDM type process, the working partnership with Mitsui Seiki's development team created the application based on 'air cutting' where the copper electrode engages with the workpiece using low voltage and high amperage. Here, the resulting spark creates heat that locally melts the workpiece material. When compared to milling, energy consumption demands for the roughing process is up to a quarter lower. A high pressure multi-jet flushing system removes the spent material from the cutting zone.

While Blue Arc can be applied to a more compact machine frame having a lower rigidity factor and available at a lower price, the advantage of the current build specification of the prototype 5-axis Mitsui Seiki HW63-TD with a BS50 taper, plus a capacity for 120 tools, means that following the Blue Arc roughing cycle the machine is able to continue to accommodate more detailed semi-finishing or finishing operational cycles. These can include profiling, slotting, pocketing, drilling and facing without the workpiece being removed and the machine being reset.

Contact details from our directory:
Mitsui Seiki Machining Systems
GE Aviation Systems Multiplexers, Air Data Computers, Onboard Computers, Stores Management Systems, Flight Recorders, Electronic Flight Instrument Systems, Health & Usage Monitoring, Flight Management Systems, Engine Nozzles, Testing Services
FANUC Corporation HQ Robotics & Automation Consultants
Related directory sectors:
Machining