A portmanteau of blade and disk, this component eliminates the need to attach individual blades to a central hub using traditional dovetail joints. Machining them as a single continuous unit reduces overall engine weight and removes the mechanical stress points where blades typically attach. They are heavily used in military jets and commercial turbofans to improve aerodynamic efficiency.
Heard on the job
The inspection showed a nick on the third stage compressor blisk, so we've to replace the whole assembly.
Insider tip
Because you cannot swap out a single damaged blade, a severe bird strike on a blisk means scrapping the entire expensive component.
Also heard as
- integrally bladed rotor
- IBR