TURBINE BLADE MANUFACTURE

The lecture will cover the manufacture of advanced Blades and Vanes for Industrial Gas Turbines by Precision Casting (sometimes referred to as the lost wax process). It will show not only equiaxed Blade and Vane production, but also advanced Directionally Solidified and Single Crystal blades for very large power gas turbines. It will also discuss the large impact that digital technologies are playing in advanced manufacturing.

Roger Hambleton studied Metallurgy at Aston University and graduated in 1966. He first worked for International Nickel Limited and studied Nickel-based Superalloys, mainly for gas turbine applications. In 1977 he moved to Howmet Turbine Components Corporation as Technical Director of a new Alloy Plant in Exeter. He became General Manager of the facility 2 years later. In 1983 he moved to the Investment Casting Plant at Exeter, as Operations Manager and then General Manager in 1985.

In 1993 he became European Technical Manager which included 2 Plants in the UK, 3 in France and a Joint Venture Company with Komatsu Limited in Japan.

The latter Joint Venture was not successful, so he started to consult for them on technical matters. It was decided to restructure the facilities and, in 1995, Roger relocated in Japan, to close one Plant and centralise and expand the newer Plant in Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture. He went on to manage the Plant initially for two years, but stayed for six. The Plant is now highly successful and is the principal supplier of advanced turbine blades and vanes to Mitsubishi Industrial Gas Turbines.

Roger returned to the UK in 2002 as Technology Director for the Industrial Gas Turbine Sector, continuing a leading role in Japan.

He retired in 2008, but continued to consult for Japan until May 2014.