JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #63 - March 2011 - 60

Wind energy

awards

Winner: GAMESA Innovation & Technology (Spain) Partners: Grupo M. Torres (Spain)
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Gamesa and M. Torres have developed a new blade technology with a revolutionary, 100%-automated manufacturing process. The project focused on the following critical aspects: Blade design, structure and materials adapted to the automated

jec composites magazine / No63 March 2011
MVC has provided 24,000 m² of inner lining for the project. The product developed by MVC met all mechanical, thermal and acoustic insulation requirements while eliminating the paint finishing step after assembly, resulting in very fast deployment and very low maintenance costs. Due to the reduced weight of the panels, the load

Winner: MVC Componentes Plasticos LTDA (Brazil) Partners: Puerta Del Sur (Uruguay), Lord Industrial Ltda (Brazil), Owens Corning (Brazil), Elekeiroz (Brazil)

Inner lining for the covering surface of the new passenger terminal at the Carrasco International Airport in Montevideo, Uruguay
process, introduction of innovative tip and root solutions that will improve the aerodynamic performance of the blade (higher production capacity of the wind turbine), automatic lamination of dry glass fibre tape (tape developed by Gamesa and M. Torres). World first for an industrial application, development of moulds with moving parts for the automated lamination of the entire blade, automation of the infusion process, fully-automated assembly jig (including application of adhesive beads by robots, also a first in the wind industry) and fully-automated finishing and painting.

A new blade technology with a revolutionary, 100%-automated manufacturing process

The project has been under development for the past 3 years. The solution will have a tremendous impact in the market. Gamesa will be the first blade manufacturer to introduce a fully-automated solution. Automated manufacturing should greatly increase the reliability of the manufacturing process, reducing nonquality costs and increasing the lifespan of blades. The reduced manual workload, together with the savings resulting from the new materials developed, will significantly reduce the overall cost of blades. The cycle time to manufacture a blade will be reduced to 1/3 of the manual process.

borne by the building’s main structure is much lower than with the solution originally specified by the designer. Sandwich panels made of composite plates pressed onto a core of thermoacoustic insulating materials fitted to a structural system made of steel sections combined with aluminium shapes. The panels are composed of composite layers reinforced with glass fibre, manufactured by a continuous lamination process and combined with a choice of structural cores in lowpressure presses. The final product, called Wall System, was approved by recognized research centres and universities in Brazil such as the IPT (Technological Research Institute),

the Federal University of Santa Maria, the Federal University of Minas Gerais and the Federal University of Ouro Preto. These institutions tested the fire safety, structural performance, water (rain) resistance, durability, and acoustic and thermal insulation of the product. The development and deployment of the project took about eight months with the new passenger terminal being inaugurated in 2009. There is a large potential market in the construction and renovation of airports, gymnasiums and sports stadiums for the Olympics and Soccer World Cup events.

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #63 - March 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #63 - March 2011