How are turbine and compressor blades (for a jet engine) produced/manufactured?

Question

I thought that the wings of a plane itself would be made from shaping metal sheets, with internal supports providing the structure, but the airfoil blades (rotors) within the engine must be much stronger, and so how are they made? I thought about large CNC mills/lathes, cutting a block of steel/aluminium (whatever) into shape, but I'm not sure if that's along the right lines.

If you have any good links, please post them too. Thanks

Answer 1

Kindly go thruogh the links below...they are made by hydraulic presses (hot forgings).

Additional info: One blade costs around US$ 22,000 approx. !!!

Answer 2

DS/Single Crystal Processes...

"Current aerospace trends have placed a premium on engine performance and fuel efficiency; and, since performance and fuel efficiency both increase as the gas temperature inside the engine increases - this has created a need for airfoils that operate at higher service temperatures.

Demand for such airfoils has led to two advances on the grain structure of airfoil castings: directionally solidified (DS) and single crystal casting.  Both advances are attempts to increase the high-temperature threshold of airfoil applications by altering the grain structure of the metal.  (Grain boundaries are the weak link in cast parts.)

DS blades and vanes are solidified in a way that essentially orients all grain boundaries in the alloy in a single direction.  As a result of this longitudinal grain alignment, both ductility and resistance to thermal fatigue is improved.

Single crystal castings eliminate grain boundaries altogether, as parts are produced that consist of a single crystal.  The current method employed to produce these castings requires the most stringent control of the solidification cycle and the entire investment casting process."

http://www.pccairfoils.com/

Answer 3

the turbine and compressor blades are grown. yes sounds weird but uts true. as with all materials metals are made up of grains or a crystal structure. to provide the strength required for the turbine blades they are specially manufactured to be essentially grown into a single crystal structure. this eliminates the weak slip planes between the crystal lattice. when hot and malleable the blades are pressed into the rough shape and trimmed and machined to the final contours. they are then heat treated to rebuild the strength. turbine blades have minute air holes in them so cool air can pass thrugh them during operation. the cool air provides a cushion of air around the blade helping to sheild it from the extremely hot exhaust gasses from the combustion chamber. without these air holes the blades would melt with the heat. the blades are usually made from a titanium alloy