UEC-Saturn has commissioned a robotic cell for adaptive grinding of large gas turbine engine (GTE) blades at its Rybinsk facility in central Russia. The project was delivered in cooperation with the Rybinsk State Aviation Technical University named after P.A. Solovyov. According to United Engine Corp. (UEC), the system reduces the overall blade processing cycle time by 1.5 to 2 times.
The cell operates within the plant’s machining shop and integrates grinding, washing, and airfoil profile inspection using a non-contact optical measurement system. The equipment automatically selects the machining program based on blade type. Operator involvement is limited to loading the blade into the storage system, selecting the process template, and transferring the finished part for compliance verification against design and manufacturing documentation.
Chief Engineer Igor Ilyin said the intelligent robotic system expands Saturn’s installed base of 35 robotic units. He highlighted its footprint and the high level of integration between primary and auxiliary equipment.
The three-year project was executed under an agreement between Russia’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education and UEC-Saturn. It covered facility preparation, equipment procurement and upgrade, tooling manufacturing, commissioning, and development of proprietary software algorithms.
Saturn engineers developed the dedicated software in-house. The system synchronizes the grinding machine, optical inspection unit, washing module, and industrial robot through a unified operator interface.
UEC-Saturn manufactures fan blades for the PD-8, PD-14, and PD-35 turbofan programs. The PD-35 uses wide-chord composite fan blades made of polymer matrix composites, while the PD-8 and PD-14 employ metallic fan blades. The company provides a full production cycle for blade assemblies, including machining, assembly, geometric inspection, and rotor balancing within the program supply chain.
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