Engineers at the Ural Turbine Plant (UTZ) have solved the eternal problem of galling in power unit casings after repairs. The development was registered in the FIPS patent database.
The point is that guide pins, which precisely center the casing halves, can eventually jam in the holes and turn a simple disassembly into a complex operation. And if the geometry of the holes changes after repair, standard parts have to be manufactured again.
UTZ has developed a guiding centering device that allows it to be installed and removed without characteristic damage, and then reused.
The main feature of the design is a split sleeve made of spring steel on the conical part of the pin. During installation, the pin freely enters the hole with a small clearance, and after tightening the nut, the sleeve expands and precisely centers the casing halves. During dismantling, the mechanism, on the contrary, releases the connection, after which the pin can be removed.
The development has already found industrial application — it was implemented in the Tp-124-12.8-NG steam turbine.