Project Title: Vacuum Nest Block for GTF Sheath
Project Summary: Pursuit Aerospace, a leader in manufacturing aircraft engine
components, specializes in providing high precision, reliable solutions for the aerospace sector. This project aimed to improve the manufacturing process of Pursuit’s titanium GTF sheaths—an essential component in turbofan engines for commercial aircraft such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320—which require tight machining tolerances to maintain aerodynamic and structural performance. Pursuit tasked the team with focusing on the design and development of their “next block mechanism,” a fixture used
during the machining of the turbine blade sheaths. The current nest block faces several issues, including inconsistent blade contact, insufficient support, and poor tolerance control, which lead to dimensional inaccuracies, reduced repeatability, and longer production lead times. These problems negatively impact the company’s overall manufacturing efficiency. In response, the team developed a new nest block design that features a vacuum seal holder for improved blade stability and adjustable shims for better alignment and precision. This redesign aims to streamline production, reduce deflection rates, and uphold the high standards essential to aerospace manufacturing.
