Abstract
Tooling is a primary target for current additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, technology because of its rapid prototyping capabilities. Molds of many sizes and shapes have been produced for a variety of industries. However, large tooling remained out of reach until the development of large-scale composite AM manufacturing processes like the Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) system. The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) worked with TPI Composites to use the BAAM system to fabricate a wind turbine blade mold. The fabricated wind turbine blade mold was produced in 16 additively manufactured sections, was 13 meters long, had heating channels integrated into the design, and was mounted into a steel frame post fabrication. This research effort serves as a case study to examine the technological impacts of AM on wind turbine blade tooling and evaluate the efficacy of this approach in utility scale wind turbine manufacturing.
| Original language | English |
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| Pages | 2430-2446 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| State | Published - 2020 |
| Event | 28th Annual International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium - An Additive Manufacturing Conference, SFF 2017 - Austin, United States Duration: Aug 7 2017 → Aug 9 2017 |
Conference
| Conference | 28th Annual International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium - An Additive Manufacturing Conference, SFF 2017 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | Austin |
| Period | 08/7/17 → 08/9/17 |
Funding
This work was sponsored in a joint partnership by the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office and Wind and Water Power Technology Office. Cost share was provided by TPI composites in accordance with the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. Matthew Sallas was integral to the fabrication and machining of the printed mold segments and this work would not have been possible without his hard work. This work was sponsored in a joint partnership by the Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office and Wind and Water Power Technology Office. Cost share was provided by TPI composites in accordance with the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. Matthew Sallas was integral to the fabrication and machining of the printed mold segments and this work would not have been possible without his hard work.