While TURBOCAM is reputed for its prowess in prototyping, it is also the supplier of choice
for bladed production parts for many of the world's leading manufacturers of turbomachinery. TURBOCAM has quality
certifications to ISO 9001:2000 in the USA, UK and India.
When market demand changed from small runs to high volume production, the development skills
honed over hundreds of prototypes helped produce cycle times and machining techniques superior to those generated by
standard software available on the market and used by most competing companies.
While other companies advise manufacturers to use ruled surfaces for their blade designs to
save money, TURBOCAM prefers to see designers get what they need for aerodynamic efficiency and better fatigue strength.
Clients have been able to get the best combinations in arbitrary surface designs and root fillets without breaking
the bank.
High-volume Production
TURBOCAM launched its TURBOCAM Automated Production Systems (TAPS) division in 2001 with a
pilot plant capable of round-the-clock unmanned manufacturing of large numbers of centrifugal impellers and blisks. Robots
are used to change parts, and the process is continuously monitored to achieve the close tolerances and surface finishes
needed for high performance turbomachinery applications.
By 2004, the pilot plant had proven the concept and TAPS was established in a new facility
in Barrington, New Hampshire (USA). This division of TURBOCAM meets a market demand for machined impellers and blisks from
wrought alloys to replace cast components.
Today, capacity exists for 250,000 to 300,000 impellers a year.
The plant is now manufacturing compressor impellers from wrought aluminum, stainless steel
and titanium. As a result of the high-speed, continuous process, prices have been quoted as low as $50 for large quantities
of small compressors.
TAPS uses technologies that TURBOCAM has developed over the past 18 years of development and
low quantity production. Every year, the company has produced over 400 unique designs of compressors, blisks, turbines and
pumps. This know-how in programming and machining has now been applied to unique high-speed multi-spindle machines that
have been developed at TAPS.
Applications for the TAPS technology include automotive turbochargers, turbojet engines, air
cycle machines, and artificial hearts.
