Electroless deposited coating with stiffeners

Abstract

A method is provided for manufacturing an engine component. During this method, a preform engine component is provided that includes a substrate. The substrate includes a substrate surface and a plurality of apertures. Each of the apertures projects partially into the substrate from the substrate surface. A coating is formed on the substrate. The coating includes a base and a plurality of projections. The base covers the substrate surface. Each of the projections projects out from the base into and fills a respective one of the apertures. The forming of the coating includes electroless plating a coating material onto the substrate over the substrate surface and within the apertures.

1 . A method for manufacturing an engine component, the method comprising:
 providing a preform engine component comprising a substrate, the substrate including a substrate surface and a plurality of apertures, and each of the plurality of apertures projecting partially into the substrate from the substrate surface, wherein the substrate comprises a polymer; and   forming a coating on the substrate, the coating including a base and a plurality of projections, the base covering the substrate surface, each of the plurality of projections projecting out from the base into and filling a respective one of the plurality of apertures, and the forming of the coating comprising electroless plating a coating material onto the substrate over the substrate surface and within the plurality of apertures;   wherein the plurality of projections comprise a first projection, the first projection includes a web and an anchor, and the web projects vertically out from the base to the anchor.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the electroless plating includes disposing the substrate into a bath of ions of the coating material in an aqueous solution; and   the coating material is plated onto the substrate through an autocatalytic chemical reduction of the ions of the coating material.   
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the coating consists of the coating material. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the coating includes a base layer and an outer layer;   the base layer is between the substrate and the outer layer;   the coating material is electroless plated onto the substrate to form the base layer; and   the outer layer comprises a second coating material.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the coating material completely fills a first of the plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the coating material and the second coating material fill a first of the plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the coating includes a base layer and an outer layer;   the coating material is electroless plated onto the substrate to form the base layer; and   the forming of the coating further comprises electroplating a second coating material onto the base layer to form the outer layer.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the base has a vertical thickness, and the first projection has a vertical height that is equal to or greater than one-half of the vertical thickness. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a lateral width of the anchor is greater than a lateral width of the web. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of apertures comprise a first aperture;   the first projection projects vertically out from the base into the first aperture; and   a portion of the substrate is disposed vertically between the base and a portion of the first projection.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein a second portion of the substrate is disposed vertically between the portion of the first projection and a second portion of the first projection. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 a first of the plurality of apertures extends longitudinally along a first centerline within the substrate;   a second of the plurality of apertures extends longitudinally along a second centerline within the substrate; and   at least a portion of the second centerline is non-parallel with the first centerline.   
     
     
         15 . A method for manufacturing an engine component, the method comprising:
 providing a preform engine component comprising a substrate, the substrate including a substrate surface and a plurality of apertures, and each of the plurality of apertures projecting partially into the substrate from the substrate surface, wherein the substrate comprises yttria-stabilized zirconia; and   forming a coating on the substrate, the coating including a base and a plurality of projections, the base covering the substrate surface, each of the plurality of projections projecting out from the base into and filling a respective one of the plurality of apertures, and the forming of the coating comprising electroless plating a coating material onto the substrate over the substrate surface and within the plurality of apertures.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the engine component is an aircraft engine component that includes the substrate and the coating. 
     
     
         17 . A method for manufacturing an aircraft engine component, the method comprising:
 providing a substrate that comprises an electrically non-conductive material, the substrate including a substrate surface and a plurality of apertures, and each of the plurality of apertures projecting partially vertically into the substrate from the substrate surface; and   electroless plating a coating material onto the substrate to form a plated structure, the plated structure including a base and a plurality of projections, the base covering the substrate surface, each of the plurality of projections projecting vertically out from the base into and filling a respective one of the plurality of apertures, and the plurality of projections comprising a first projection, wherein the coating material comprises a nickel nano-crystalline coating.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein
 the aircraft engine component further comprises the substrate; and   the substrate forms a preform of the aircraft engine component.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising removing the substrate from the plated structure. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the web has a rectangular shape; and   the anchor has a trapezoidal shape.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein
 a first of the plurality of apertures extends longitudinally along a first centerline within the substrate, and at least a portion of the first centerline is non-straight; and   a second of the plurality of apertures extends longitudinally along a second centerline within the substrate and is laterally next to the first of the plurality of apertures, at least a portion of the second centerline is non-straight, and the second of the plurality of apertures laterally diverges away from the first of the plurality of apertures as the second of the plurality of apertures extends longitudinally along the second centerline.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein
 the first projection includes a web and an anchor, the web projects vertically out from the base to the anchor, and the web has a vertical height which is greater than a vertical height of the anchor; and   the aircraft engine component comprises the plated structure.