A reverse engineering methodology for nickel alloy turbine blades with internal features

Abstract

The scope of this work is to present a reverse engineering (RE) methodology for freeform surfaces, based on a case study of a turbine blade made of Inconel, including the reconstruction of its internal cooling system. The methodology uses an optical scanner and X-ray computed tomography (CT) equipment. Traceability of the measurements was obtained through the use of a Modular Freeform Gage (MFG). An uncertainty budget is presented for both measuring technologies and results show that the RE methodology presented is promising when comparing uncertainty values against common industrial tolerances.