Robot-based Additive Manufacturing of Lego-type Modular Molds for Wind Blades
- Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
- Raytheon Technologies Corp., Waltham, MA (United States)
- Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
- TPI Composites, Scottsdale, AZ (United States)
The objective of this project is to reduce the cost and lead time of horizontal wind turbine blade mold tooling and blade transportation, while maintaining the highest standards of blade quality. The solution involves a smart-design family of modular molds that are easily transportable to fabrication sites near the place of service. Key innovations include the use of additive manufacturing (AM) to integrate conformal thermal management channels, offering enhanced control over the thermal profiles tailored to specific blade materials. This approach enables in-situ quality assurance during mold fabrication, significantly improves mold life, and allows for reuse across multiple production cycles. Ultimately, the solution aims to optimize both tooling and transportation costs, contributing to the scalability of wind turbine blade production. A significant barrier to scaling up the production of large wind turbine blades lies in the high costs associated with tooling and the transportation of blades. Traditional molds are expensive, bulky, and difficult to transport, adding considerable lead time and cost to the overall manufacturing process. Additionally, transporting blades to distant locations for final assembly further exacerbates these challenges. The project aims to address these inefficiencies by demonstrating a modularized, additive-manufactured mold that meets all necessary blade specification requirements, specifically for blade lengths between 120m and 150m.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EE0009402
- OSTI ID:
- 2566840
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-LEGO--0009402
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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