Automated Post-Mold Operations for Wind Blade Manufacturing

Research output: NRELPresentation

Abstract

Three post-mold operations performed in wind blade manufacturing include: trimming, to remove excess flashing; grinding, to shape the leading edge; and sanding, to prepare the are for bonding of over-lamination or paint. This work focuses on automating these three operations. Each operation scans the blade to build a point cloud, plans a tool path for the operation, and executes the toolpath using an industrial robot arm. The results are analyzed to determine the operational speed and the finish quality.
Original languageAmerican English
Number of pages70
StatePublished - 2023

Publication series

NamePresented at the North American Wind Energy Academy (NAWEA)/WindTech 2023 Conference, 30 October - 1 November 2023, Denver, Colorado

NREL Publication Number

  • NREL/PR-5000-87782

Keywords

  • advanced manufacturing
  • automation
  • robotics
  • wind blade finishing
  • wind energy

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