“Since commissioning, large time savings have already been generated.”
Nordex Group discovered Z-LASER GmbH in its search for innovative and cost-reducing systems for this complex manufacturing process. The idea behind the process to use laser projection and positioning to achieve faster production and shorter circle times and, at the same time, greater precision. We can already reveal that up to 3 hours were saved in the production process for a rotor blade related to laying over 200 glass fibre mats.
How did this happen so quickly?
The complete manufacturing process of a blank is very complex and therefore takes a lot of time. For this reason, the use of an optical guidance system represents a process optimization with great savings potential. In order to make the production process leaner and faster, Nordex Group installed a number of laser projectors called ZLP2 from Z-LASER GmbH at a distance of about 8 m above the negative mould on the roof of the production hall. The projectors were positioned to cover approximately 90% of the suctionside mould and 40% of the pressureside mould. Workers may work in their working environment without restriction. Operation is controlled via the intuitive and easy-to-use ZLP-Suite software, which can be easily integrated into Nordex customer applications using the product‘s own programming interface, programmed by the user and may be extended on a modular basis.
The most time-consuming step in the production of a rotor blade is to cover it with glass fibre layers which, due to their size up to 20m, are divided into several patches. Most of the material is used in the so-called root area, since this is where the greatest forces are experienced once put into operations. Small tolerances must be observed when shafting this root area. In total, more than 200 individual glass fibre mats in 45 layers are laid layer by layer by hand. The ZLP2 projects the exact positions onto the workpiece so that this can be done optimally and accurately. Excess material can then be removed along the laser mark so that it does not remain in the component. In addition to the positioning of the fibre mats, many other applications where the laser projection system can be used in the production process of rotor blades were identified.
