Development of future aero engine components based on new design strategies utilising topological optimisation and additive manufacturing has in the past years become a reality. This allows for designs that involve geometries of “free form” surfaces and material combinations that could be difficult to machine using conventional milling. Hence, alternative manufacturing routes using non-conventional high energy methods are interesting to explore. In this investigation, the three high energy machining methods abrasive water jet machining (AWJM), electrical discharge machining (EDM) and laser beam machining (LBM) have been compared in terms of surface integrity to the reference, a ball nosed end milled surface. The results showed great influence on the surface integrity from the different machining methods. It was concluded that AWJM resulted in the highest quality regarding surface integrity properties with compressive residual stresses in the surface region and a low surface roughness with texture from the abrasive erosion. Further, it was shown that EDM resulted in shallow tensile residual stresses in the surface and an isotropic surface texture with higher surface roughness. However, even though both methods could be considered as possible alternatives to conventional milling they require post processing. The reason is that the surfaces need to be cleaned from either abrasive medium from AWJM or recast layer from EDM. It was further concluded that LBM should not be considered as an alternative in this case due to the deep detrimental impact from the machining process.

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is considered as an efficient alternative to conventional material removal concepts that allows for much higher material removal rates. However, EDM generates unwanted features such as re-cast layer (RCL), tensile residual stresses and a rough surface. In order to recover the surface integrity, different post processes has been compared: high-pressure water jet (HPWJ), grit blasting (GB) and shot peening (SP). Surface integrity has been evaluated regarding microstructure, residual stresses, chemical content and surface roughness. The results showed that a combination of two post processes is required in order to restore an EDM processed surface of discontinuous islands of RCL. HPWJ was superior for removing RCL closely followed by grit blasting. However, grit blasting showed embedded grit blasting abrasive into the surface. Regarding surface roughness, it was shown that both grit blasting and HPWJ caused a roughening of the surface topography while shot peening generates a comparably smoother surface. All three post processes showed compressive residual stresses in the surface where shot peening generated the highest amplitude and penetration depths. However, the microstructure close to the surface revealed that shot peening had generated cracks parallel to the surface. The results strongly state how important it is to evaluate the surface at each of the different subsequent process steps in order to avoid initiation of cracks.