Automating blade production

Multiple benefits for the environment, quality and cost

LM Glasfiber manufactures more than 7,000 wind turbine blades each year, and our production activities are therefore based on a considerable body of experience. This large volume also makes it a cost-effective proposition for the company to implement automation in our global manufacturing processes.
A group of LM Glasfiber specialists works continuously on automating the most important processes. The results of this work are having an impact on a number of key areas that include:

• reducing costs in the production stage
• optimal use of materials 
• consistent quality of end products
• better working environment
• consistent data collection.

Same concept for all machines

Because LM Glasfiber implemented our automation process at the same time for all our machinery, we have been able to build on the same concept throughout our production line. This means that each single part (e.g. push-buttons) is the same, and we can thus reap the benefits of standardisation.
Automation includes practically all our separate processes, but it is implemented in our production step by step. To begin with, we introduced automation of the processes involved in resin infusion, stacking glass fibre, gluing, grinding the root and the mechanism for turning the moulds.

Robot-controlled glass application carts

Laying out the glass in the blade mould is an important part of manufacturing wind turbine blades.
The new robot-controlled glass application carts enable us to do this 25% faster. They also cut down on material waste and significantly reduce the risk of error. The blade geometry is pre-programmed into the control system of the glass application carts, which operators can also steer with a joystick, if necessary. These carts are programmed to automatically switch between the different types of glass, which can be laid out both under tension and synchronously, so that it does not pull on the sheets of glass while they are being rolled out. This enables operators to be completely sure that the different types of glass are placed correctly in the mould. The system also reports any error that might occur during this procedure.

Special resin infusion machines

The 40 infusion machines that LM Glasfiber uses around the world were also specially developed to save process time. The infusion time alone has been reduced by 15–20%. Automation has also contributed to ensuring consistent blade quality. Both timing and volume are crucial for quality, and these machines control the complicated infusion process automatically. Detailed operating data from the process is used to control the actual infusion process, and is also linked up to the LM Glasfiber control, adjustment and monitoring system.

Full traceability

Automatic error reporting is a built-in feature of all the specially developed machines we use in our production, and the process data is collected via a wireless link. All the data from glass application carts, infusion machines and bonding machines, for example, is transferred to a special control, adjustment and monitoring system, commonly known as a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. This enables us to examine production details concerning every individual blade and see how each separate process was carried out, what materials were used and which operators were responsible for production.
This complete access to source data, along with the full traceability it provides, enables us to monitor quality and ensure that our processes are as efficient as possible in terms of both time and materials used.
This SCADA system has been implemented throughout our factories in Northern Europe and is now being introduced in our facilities throughout the rest of the world.