[Gizm0]

I've been wondering how turbo compressor wheels were made. Neat little video showing the machining process...

[Jashley73]

[u2b][/u2b]Haha, I actually work as a machinist and program CNC machines for a living. For boutique turbo impellers, yeah they're probably machined from solid. For production engines however, they're most likely pressure-cast, or finely forged parts. There's just not enough time in the world to machine all the required turbo impellers from solid, for production engines.

There's a running joke among machinists that the only thing that a 5-axis milling machine could be used for is impellers. Not true for 5-axis machines, and not true for impellers. But, they do make for neat demo parts...

How much HP do you think THIS guy would make??? (Notice how the caption states, that it takes 30 minutes to rough out just one vane... Achieving a fine-finish on the vane surfaces will take HOURS each...

Here's another good one...

And for the record, these machines cost-in about the same a fleet of new BMW's...

[ShocknAwe]

Regardless of practicality, it was a very cool vid. Pretty impellers too.

[Gizm0]

Originally Posted by Jashley73

[u2b][/u2b]Haha, I actually work as a machinist and program CNC machines for a living. For boutique turbo impellers, yeah they're probably machined from solid. For production engines however, they're most likely pressure-cast, or finely forged parts. There's just not enough time in the world to machine all the required turbo impellers from solid, for production engines.

There's a running joke among machinists that the only thing that a 5-axis milling machine could be used for is impellers. Not true for 5-axis machines, and not true for impellers. But, they do make for neat demo parts...

How much HP do you think THIS guy would make??? (Notice how the caption states, that it takes 30 minutes to rough out just one vane... Achieving a fine-finish on the vane surfaces will take HOURS each...

Here's another good one...

And for the record, these machines cost-in about the same a fleet of new BMW's...

Sweet videos man! Thanks for sharing.

[Efthreeoh]

I used to buy machine tools for Lockheed Martin. That 5-axis machining center in the video does not look like a high-rate production machining center and looks more like a prototyping machine, or a low-rate production machine at best. Machining turbo fans from billet would be cost prohibitive for high-rate production of turbos. Jashley73 is correct, production-rate parts for turbos are pressure cast, or roto-cast parts.

[Jashley73]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I used to buy machine tools for Lockheed Martin. That 5-axis machining center in the video does not look like a high-rate production machining center and looks more like a prototyping machine, or a low-rate production machine at best. Machining turbo fans from billet would be cost prohibitive for high-rate production of turbos. Jashley73 is correct, production-rate parts for turbos are pressure cast, or roto-cast parts.

Starrag Heckert has a much bigger presence in europe, and are usually considered higher-tier machines, usually reserved for OEM's with deep pockets and specialty applications. But you're correct, definitely not in the high-production category.

Efthreeoh, are you still with lockheed martin?

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Jashley73

Starrag Heckert has a much bigger presence in europe, and are usually considered higher-tier machines, usually reserved for OEM's with deep pockets and specialty applications. But you're correct, definitely not in the high-production category.

Efthreeoh, are you still with lockheed martin?

No. I left in 1996. I worked in the equipment planning department and spec'd and bought several machining centers, and I did all the metrology lab equipment, and all the welding equipment. The Lockheed plant has (or had when I was there) a beautiful Cincinatti Milcron 5-axis 3-spindle mill. The table was IIRC 25' x 15'. They machined Titan D5 parts on it from billet plate. They'd shovel the chips off with coal shovels. Good stuff. The neatest thing I like to tell people was the jigs for the Space Shuttle main fuel tank (built by Lockheed in McCloud) were built on a 18' horizontal ring-boring machine. The machine was built in 1919.