A Study on Machining Distortion of Airfoil Effected by Fixture and Process

b Samwoo Metal IND., LDT, Namsan-dong 604-17, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, 642-090, Korea ABSTRACT Article history: Thin and wide airfoils are difficult to be machined precisely because they are deformed during and after machining processes. This paper presents the results of the airfoil deformation measured by three-dimensional (3D) scanning equipment. It also discusses the influences of fixture and the machining process on the distortion of the thin airfoil. The simple fixture bended the thin airfoil to a U- shape at the first process, and the vacuum fixture decreased the distortion of the machined airfoil at the second process. The long and thin airfoil supported by two points was buckled during the machining at its two end-regions at the third process. Results from this study suggest that use of vacuum fixture decreases the machining distortion of thin and wide airfoils.