Imagine you're finishing an impeller blade with a ball end mill. The drawing calls for a specific surface finish, but now you need to determine the toolpath parameters that will achieve it. Should...
As we celebrate Manufacturing Day 2024, it’s vital to recognize the pivotal role manufacturing plays in our economy and society. This year’s theme, “Inspiring the Next Generation of Manufacturers,”...
On the first Friday in October, manufacturers across the country open their doors in celebration of National Manufacturing Day in America. Students, parents, teachers, local leaders, and others are...
Dave Schowalter, Director of Global Software Sales, introduces you to Claudio Raia, our newest team member and the Managing Director of Concepts NREC Europe. Welcome Claudio!
What is 5 axis machining? In short, it is manufacturing a component on a CNC milling machine that can travel in 5 different directions. These machines allow the cutting tool to reach around parts...
Concepts NREC has added two additional Hermle 5-axis mills in our shop, and we’re excited about the increased capabilities these new machines bring! In August of 2018 we received the first of these...
As I’ve always said, there’s as much thermodynamics in a glass of beer, as there is in a power plant. Don't believe me? Read on. Phase change is common phenomena that we see all the time. We’re most...
Temperature envelopes in the turbomachinery industry are constantly increasing as the state of the art evolves in pursuit of better performance. This means engineers need to design compressors with...
When designing compressors, engineers often use ruled-surface blades with the goal of making a shape that’s easily manufactured on a 5-axis machine. Theses blades can be quickly machined in one pass...
Have you ever needed to know the exact geometry of a compressor that has been running for years in your process plant? Perhaps you need to analyze how it would perform if the process fluid had to be...
As an engineer in the rotating machinery world, it is my job to design things that work for a very long time. To help ensure this, we have evolved the best analytical tools to calculate the stresses...
The advancement of composite material technologies over the past few decades has contributed to their widespread use in a vast array of aerospace applications. Most applications target weight...
Computer-Aided Manufacturing software for turbomachinery generally uses 5-axis milling with some form of collision checking. It is a prerequisite given the expense of the machines, tools and parts...
The guiding principle behind Concepts NREC’s Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software, MAX-PAC, is to simplify the task of creating efficient milling toolpaths for turbomachinery. Since we are...
One of the most important design choices facing a chiller compressor designer is whether to utilize open or shrouded impellers. The impacts of this verdict are wide ranging, which arguably makes this...
The testing of turboshaft engines is necessary to ensure that post-repair performance meets or exceeds requirements for safe aircraft operation. Testing typically involves several phases such as:...
The primary options for laying out an impeller (i.e. flank milled versus point milled, open versus covered impellers, integral versus welded shrouds) determine the basic manufacturing process (see ...
There are two dominant manufacturing methods used to produce turbomachinery parts – Casting and 5-axis machining. This blog will explore some of the applications and restrictions of these two methods.