APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY Faster rotor blade bonding


The energy turnaround and the push to expand renewable energy generation is posing major challenges for manufacturers of wind energy plants. To ensure economic viability, efforts are focusing first on improving the availability and productivity of existing production facilities.


H


enkel says that the use of new material technologies is making an important contribution to this, especially in rotor blade production. Traditionally, blade shells and spars have been bonded using two-component epoxy


resins. While these materials reliably meet the extremely high mechanical specifications, they are rapidly reaching their limits when it comes to the automation of manufacturing processes. Henkel’s newly developed polyurethane adhesive - Macroplast


UK 1340, is a PUR adhesive that satisfies the specific mechanical requirements for use in the wind power industry and, on top of this, makes rotor blade production more efficient.


Higher capacity utilisation through faster curing Henkel highlights that one of the major benefits offered by


Macroplast UK 1340 is its accelerated cure speed. Since it is not only highly reactive but also produces less reaction heat, this two component adhesive considerably reduces both the duration and the temperature of the cure phase. Extensive tests have shown that substantial reductions can be achieved in bonding and tempering times. The lower cure temperature also has a positive impact on energy consumption in addition to reducing the risk of stress cracking due to excessive thermal loading. Heat sensitive foam inserts also remain unaffected.


GL approved and IWES tested Macroplast UK 1340 fulfils all the key parameters specified


by Germanischer Lloyd (GL) and Henkel says it is the first PUR adhesive in the world to have obtained GL approval. GL’s requirements for the adhesive primarily relate to its tensile shear strength, resistance to aging, creep behaviour and glass transition. Further evidence of the functional capabilities and fatigue


strength of the processed adhesive was recently furnished when it successfully passed load tests performed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology (IWES). In a long term test lasting some four months, an ENERCON rotor blade bonded with Macroplast UK 1340 was subjected in Bremerhaven to stresses and strains that would normally occur over a period of 20 years. The bonded joints of the 40 meter long blade passed the static and dynamic tests specified in the IEC 61400-23 standard to determine the rated load and fatigue behaviour of the blade. The test criteria specified for approval of wind energy plants were met without any problems. ENERCON’s own specifications were also satisfied in this blade test.


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