Automated Deposition Apparatus for Composite Rotor Blades
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for manufacturing wind turbine rotor blades are costly, labor-intensive, and inefficient, with high mold tooling expenses and slow production rates, due to the need for customized molds and low utilization of expensive tooling.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method for manufacturing composite components, including rotor blades, using automated deposition technologies like 3-D printing and additive manufacturing, with a mold disposed within a grid and multiple machine heads movable along various axes for efficient material deposition and customization of structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional molding processes with customized molds are used to manufacture rotor blades, then manufacturing precision and structural integrity are improved, but manufacturing cost and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor blade is divided into multiple segments that can be manufactured separately and then assembled. This allows parallel production of multiple segments, significantly increasing productivity while maintaining the precision of individual segment manufacturing through controlled molding processes.
Solution Approach 2:
Molds are prepared and pre-positioned in advance for each blade segment. This preliminary preparation of tooling enables immediate production when materials are ready, reducing idle time and increasing overall production rate without sacrificing manufacturing precision.
2Strength
If conventional molding processes with customized molds are used to manufacture rotor blades, then structural integrity is improved, but manufacturing cost increases due to high mold tooling expenses
Solution Approach 1:
The mold design incorporates universal features that allow the same mold to produce multiple different blade segments or to be easily reconfigured for different production needs. This reduces the number of specialized molds required, lowering overall tooling costs while maintaining the strength and quality of produced components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables recovery and reuse of mold components and tooling fixtures across multiple production cycles and different blade designs. This recovers the high initial mold investment through extended utilization, reducing the effective manufacturing cost per blade while maintaining structural integrity.
3Strength
If conventional molding processes are used to manufacture rotor blades, then structural components are improved, but tooling utilization is low and costs remain high
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing system maintains continuous operation of molds and tooling through uninterrupted production cycles. Multiple segments are produced in sequence without mold idle time, ensuring that expensive tooling is constantly utilized. This continuous useful action maximizes tooling utilization while producing structurally sound components.
Solution Approach 2:
Dividing the blade into segments enables continuous production where molds work without interruption, producing one segment after another. This eliminates downtime between different blade productions, maintaining high tooling utilization rates while ensuring each structural component meets strength requirements through consistent manufacturing processes.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus for manufacturing a composite component. The apparatus includes a mold onto which the composite component is formed. The mold is disposed within a grid defined by a first axis and a second axis. The apparatus further includes a first frame assembly disposed above the mold, and a plurality of machine heads coupled to the first frame assembly within the grid in an adjacent arrangement along the first axis. At least one of the mold or the plurality of machine heads is moveable along the first axis, the second axis, or both. At least one of the machine heads of the plurality of machine heads is moveable independently of one another along a third axis.