Chromalloy: Leading innovation in turbine parts and services

ENGINE MAINTENANCE
Chromalloy: Leading
innovation in turbine
parts and services
For nearly 60 years, Chromalloy has distinguished
itself as a leading independent supplier of advanced
protective coatings, high-technology repairs and
replacement components for gas turbine engines.
What makes Chromalloy truly unique is its wealth
of PhDs, engineers, and metallurgists. From the
beginning, these Chromalloy professionals have
focused their research and development efforts on
engine components found in the engine gas path,
where temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees
Fahrenheit demand the highest level of technological
sophistication. Today Chromalloy is a global technology
company with a rich history of partnering with
customers to deliver innovative solutions that reduce
the operating expense and extend the life of gas
turbine engines.
38 | MRO YEARBOOK 2011
chrOMaLLOY histOrY
Back in 1951, as Chromalloy American Corporation, the
company’s original core of scientists developed some of the
first diffusion coatings for nozzle guide vanes found on the first
generation of commercial jet engines. That original company
is now 4,000 people strong with operations in 15 countries
worldwide, and a depth of intellectual property and proprietary
processes typically found only in the OEM world. Chromalloy’s
customers now include major engine OEMs, nearly every major
airline in the world, the US military, and operators of aeroderivative and industrial gas turbine engines worldwide.
To its customers, Chromalloy represents choice. In a complex
engine component aftermarket, where OEMs consistently
discourage competition, Chromalloy represents a safe,
technologically proven and regulatory approved alternative
to the escalating cost of original OEM components. Customers
count on Chromalloy to reduce scrap rates through complex,
high technology repairs, reduce new components costs through
replacements versus new OEM components, and to inject healthy
competition into an environment that without Chromalloy would
provide almost no alternatives for the high cost parts found in the
hot gas path of a gas turbine engine.
As the company prepares to celebrate its 60th year of successful
operation, it can boast a portfolio of accomplishments unique
ENGINE MAINTENANCE
within the gas turbine marketplace.
Chromalloy has successfully deployed
over a half-million new and repaired
parts and components into the
worldwide fleet of commercial and
military aircraft. These components
have logged hundreds of millions of
hours of safe flight time, and have for
decades kept millions of passengers
and crew safe and on task every day.
chrOMaLLOY’s
VaLue chain
The key to Chromalloy’s ability to thrive
in an environment typically reserved
for engine OEMs is its remarkable
value chain. As an independent
company, Chromalloy has the unique
ability to control every element
and process behind its product
offering, including engineering,
casting, machining, repair, tooling
and coatings. Chromalloy’s expertise
includes design, test, air flow,
and structural engineering, and
includes 13 Designated Engineering
Representatives each appointed
by the FAA to review, evaluate and
approve technical data.
With respect to Chromalloy’s casting capability,
it starts with a brand new, purpose built $27m,
115,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility in
Tampa, Florida. This new facility is equipped
with the professional expertise and equipment
necessar y to design, develop and cast
directionally solidified, equiax and single crystal
High Pressure Turbine (HPT) and Low Pressure
Turbine (LPT) blades and vanes, as well as their
complex cores. Chromalloy’s advanced tooling,
machining, and coating capabilities round out
the value chain and effectively support the
company’s product line. Having complete control
of the processes, intellectual property, expertise
and equipment empowers Chromalloy with the
unique ability to meet specific customer needs
in a timely and cost-effective manner. While
many companies have some of these capabilities,
outside of the OEMs none have them all, making
Chromalloy a truly unique enterprise.
chrOMaLLOY prODucts
anD serVices
While Chromalloy’s scientists, engineers and
technicians have the ability to coat, repair or
produce just about any component from a gas
turbine engine, they focus primarily on the
compressor flowing downstream to the highpressure and low-pressure turbine section.
repairs
As a provider of advanced repairs, Chromalloy offers
both OEM-approved and Designated Engineering
Representative (DER) repairs for virtually any
turbine engine model. Repairs to HPT blades and
nozzle guide vanes are among the most complex
repairs to any turbine engine due to the engine’s
cooling system requirements, its high operating
temperature and extreme operating environments.
Chromalloy uses a two-step approach to deliver
the most technologically advanced solutions in
a flexible, cost-effective manner. The Chromalloy
solution: Repair instead of replace, and replace nonrepairable parts with PMA parts.
When repairs are indicated for commercial and
military engines, Chromalloy provides standard
repairs, source demonstrated repairs and advanced
source-demonstrated repairs such as airfoil
replacement.
“Our gas turbine repairs provide the military
with flight safety, cost-effective parts and services,
and a robust and agile supply chain,” says Andrew
Farrant, Chromalloy’s vice president of marketing
and corporate communications. “We supply repairs
on virtually every part in every commercial and
industrial turbine and auxiliary power unit. We also
provide several unique repairs, including patented
blade tip welding, airfoil replacement repairs and
turbine case flange replacements.”
MRO YEARBOOK 2011 | 39
ENGINE MAINTENANCE
coating reduces the thickness of the blade wall.
Therefore, a full repair can only be performed
once. Typically a light or rejuvenation repair will
be made at the first shop visit, while a full repair
will be made at the second shop visit. Another
rejuvenation repair will usually be made on the
blades at the third shop visit before blades are
scrapped at the fourth shop visit.
cOatinGs
Chromalloy’s technologies and advanced repairs
and coatings offer the operator the ability to repair
HPT blades during the first, second or third shop
visit based on the status and wear of the blade.
While many operators scrap all HPT blades at the
first shop visit, repairs can save substantial material
costs over the life of the turbine.
Repairs to High Pressure Turbine (HPT) blades
and nozzle guide vanes are among the most
advanced used throughout the engine. Because
they operate in a high-temperature environment
that requires cooling systems, HPT blades and
vanes are complex parts. Blades and vanes have
40 | MRO YEARBOOK 2011
internal cooling channels and holes drilled with
lasers to affect a flow of cooling air. They also use
temperature-resistant materials and coatings to
limit the erosion, oxidation and sulphidation of
blades and vanes due to high temperatures. Care
is required when repairing HPT blades, and there
is a limit to the number of times that a full blade
repair can be carried out. While a light repair,
which can be performed several times, involves
blade inspection and repair of cracks, a full repair
involves complete stripping of the thermal barrier
coating from the blade, and a recoating with new
protective material. Stripping the thermal barrier
For six decades Chromalloy has pioneered the
use of protective coatings for turbine engine
components from cone to tail. Engine output,
efficiency and reliability have increased in recent
years due to advancements in turbine and
component design, materials and the coatings
incorporated into the critical parts and designs
¬of today’s turbines. The use of coatings can
increase the time between required overhaul
and maintenance, resulting in significant cost
savings to the gas turbine operator. Use of thermal
barrier coatings has also allowed the operating
temperatures of a turbine’s HPT vanes and to
increase significantly, minimizing the deleterious
effects on the parent material.
“Chromalloy continues to partner with customers
around the world to develop advanced coatings,
from aluminide and platinum aluminides to lowpressure plasma spray overlay and electron beam
physical vapor deposition coatings,” says Farrant.
The company’s proprietary and patented coatings
are also available for manufacturing and repair
of industrial gas turbine components. Available
Chromalloy coatings include pack and vapor
aluminides, platinum aluminides, CBN-based blade
tip coatings, LPPS applied metallic coatings, EBPVD
applied coatings, as well as lower conductivity
thermal barrier coatings, polyester enhanced
abradable seal coatings and other unique coating
combinations.
Sustained investment in research and
development has also led the company to
develop electron beam physical vapor deposited
ceramic coatings, low pressure and air plasma
sprayed coatings, precious metal/diffusion
aluminide coatings, and vision-guided interactive
laser welding and drilling for advanced turbine
engine components. Today Chromalloy is the
world’s largest provider of low-pressure plasma
spray overlay and Electron Beam Physical Vapor
Deposition (EBPVD) coatings.
With joint ventures and strategic partnerships in
both the commercial aircraft and industrial turbine
engine sectors — with engine OEMs and their
customers — Chromalloy continues to provide
coatings for new production, turbine engine
overhaul repairs, component repairs and services
for commercial and military aircraft.
ENGINE MAINTENANCE
cost alternatives to OEM HPT blades. These particular components represent
an airline’s greatest opportunity for cost savings — and they are also the most
complex to manufacture. In 2002 BELAC became the first company in aviation
history to receive PMA approval of a HPT blade. BELAC not only helps airlines
around the world reduce operating expenses and improve efficiency. The joint
venture also stands as a symbol of Chromalloy’s commitment to partnership and
shared success. With more than 32,000 HPT engine blades in operation today,
BELAC provides the world’s commercial air carriers with proven replacement
parts that reduce their operating expenses and improve efficiency.
“At a time when the airlines are seeking to identify all potential maintenance
cost savings while ensuring safety, reliability and top engine performance,
BELAC blades are providing airlines around the world with an alternative
equipment source,” says Farrant. “Operators examine the cost of a single
replacement HPT blade, then multiply that over the entire engine and over a
fleet. The savings can put millions of dollars back into a maintenance operation.”
keY Markets
neW parts
More than 300,000, FAA-approved, Chromalloyengineered PMA and airfoil replacement parts
are currently in use by military and commercial air
carriers throughout the world. The components are
engineered to meet or exceed the performance,
reliability and durability specifications of OEM parts,
while being offered at a lower cost. Chromalloy
was the first manufacturer to provide non-OEM
flight hardware, including PMA parts for the highpressure turbine section of an engine.
“We design and manufacture high pressure
turbine, low pressure turbine, and high pressure
component parts for several gas turbine engines,
and we provide PMA and alternative parts for highcost, high-scrap components on all but the newest
turbines,” says Farrant.
The company works with advanced tools,
including vision-guided interactive laser welding
and drilling to precisely craft even the most
sophisticated turbine components. Among its
strategic partnerships and joint ventures is BELAC
LLC, the Chromalloy joint venture formed with
major global airlines to supply PMA parts for
turbine engines that power commercial aircraft.
BELAC was founded in 1998 to provide the
airlines with high-quality, readily available, lower42 | MRO YEARBOOK 2011
Chromalloy serves major airlines worldwide, providing full spectrum engine
support through coatings, parts repair and replacement, overhaul services,
PMA parts and full engine management. “Our unique capabilities have earned
us the trust of airlines and the military,” says Farrant.
The company’s early work for the US military started during the Vietnam
War, when Chromalloy’s proprietary coatings were used to provide corrosion
protection to turbine engine compressor airfoils. The company also provided
repairs and specialty coatings on the F100 family of engines. Today Chromalloy
has more than $1bn in military contracts and supports more than 24 engine
models that power military aircraft, sea vessels and tanks.
Applying commercial best practices to military engines, the aftermarket service
company contributes to performance restoration on legacy power systems.
“Our goal is to significantly enhance engine performance for the military
customer while simultaneously reducing operating costs,” says Farrant.
Military customers take advantage of the company’s investments over
the years in commercial repairs and new part production. Chromalloy uses
commercial best practices that provide savings to warfighter sustainment costs
through increased engine time-on-wing and reduced fuel consumption. Its
application of commercial best practices allows the company to serve military
operators with component repairs that, according to Farrant, reduce by at least
35 per cent the cost of buying new parts. “Translated over a fleet,” he says, “that
adds up to critical savings to the bottom line.”
As part of its aero-derivative and industrial gas turbine segment, Chromalloy
brings the same best practices from the aerospace industry to providing parts,
repairs and coatings for marine engines including cruise ships. The company
also has contracts around the world with offshore platform operators, and
utility and power turbine operators.
MeetinG future neeDs
In addition to its new casting facility in Tampa, Chromalloy continues to make
significant investments in operations and facilities, including a recent multimillion dollar investment in conventional and electron discharge machining,
and additional low pressure plasma spray and air plasma spray coating
equipment. Chromalloy recently expanded its large operations in Bangkok,
Thailand — a site originally established by the company in 1991. In 2009 the
company doubled capacity at the repair and manufacturing facility to better
serve operators in the rapidly growing region.
“These investments and expanding capabilities around the globe provide
Chromalloy with the unique ability to offer one-stop service in the repair and
production process,” says Farrant. “We continue to grow in an ever-changing
industry to better meet the needs of our customers.” n