NREL uses robots to trim, grind, and sand wind turbine blades, aiming to reduce labor intensity and increase consistency in manufacturing.
Research has shown that robots can trim, grind, and sand blades, essential steps after the blade halves are molded and bonded together.Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the US Department of Energy use robots to produce wind turbine blades.
According to NREL, research has showcased robots’ capability to trim, grind, and sand the blades. These processes are essential following the fabrication of blade halves using a mold, which are subsequently bonded together.Automation can lower costs, mitigate labor shortages, and enhance worker safety by eliminating the need for hazardous post-mold operations like trimming, grinding, and sanding.
However, widespread adoption is hindered by challenges in programming paths for large blades and the limitations of high-precision vision systems, which require extensive scans and computation. Despite advancements, these barriers make implementing automation in wind blade production difficult. Using a sequence of scans, the researchers were able to precisely identify the front and rear sections of the airfoil—a unique blade form that facilitates smooth airflow across the blade—and build a three-dimensional picture of the blade’s position.
NREL Renewable Energy Robot Wind Energy Wind Turbine
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