An investigation of laser drilling variation and the application of a knowledge management framework

Customer requirements for efficiency in the gas turbine industry are driving designs that require increasingly complex and precise manufacturing processes. One such process employed at Alstom Power is the laser drilling holes in gas turbine blades and vanes. The complexity of such advanced manufacturing techniques requires a disciplined approach toward process improvement. In addition, manufacturing knowledge management systems must be put in place to provide the foundation for improvement initiatives. This thesis attempts to advance the understanding of laser-drilling variation sources on gas turbine nickel-based alloy blades and vanes. It also illustrates the importance of a disciplined approach to reducing variation in advanced manufacturing processes. For illustrative purposes, this thesis consists of two main sections. The first focuses on efforts to reduce laser drilling variation. A historical view of the process highlights the need for a rigorous improvement plan. A disciplined approach is then proposed, incorporating a variety of tools to focus on key issues. Finally, testing and analysis provide the quantitative insights for improving the process. Rigorous test data showed the drilling process to be significantly impacted by energy and focus variations. The sensitivity was greater than anticipated and highlights the need for improved setup techniques and instrumentation for successful production runs. The second section of the thesis takes an organizational perspective of managing process improvement knowledge. The historical perspective shows that there were not sufficient systems in place to facilitate the necessary learning. The three key elements of a knowledge management system (creation, capture, and transfer) and the implementation of such a system are discussed.

Department dc:contributor.department

Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2001

Author dc:creator

• Bornheim, Jeffrey J. (Jeffrey James), 1974-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Daniel Whitney and Roy Welsch.

• Mechanical Engineering.
• Sloan School of Management.
• Leaders for Manufacturing Program.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/44605

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/44605