Pontis Engineering, specialist in the development of advanced composite products, introduces its latest innovation in composite manufacturing solutions at the world’s biggest wind energy trade show: WindEnergy Hamburg 2018. This breakthrough technology enables the welding of epoxy rotor blades by using thermoplastic resin; a unique new method which brings major benefits in cycle time, weight and strength.
Two years ago, Pontis Engineering introduced a ground-breaking welding solution for fully thermoplastic rotor blades. Driven by the positive results and response, the engineering company has now found a welding solution that can be used in existing epoxy designs. Pontis Engineering has developed a technol-ogy in which prefab thermoplastic welding units are implemented in the epoxy shell. These units not only enable a welded connection, but also enable that a sharper trailing edge and a more compact connection can be realized.
In conventional rotor blade production bonding paste is commonly used. Pontis applied its new construc-tion method to a test blade component and found a number of significant advantages, including:
»Increased reliability
»Reduced cycle time for bonding operation (up to 90%)
»Reduced total workload (app. 5%)
»Increased bond strength
»Reduced blade mass (app. 3-5%)
Pontis Engineering Director Sjef van Breugel said, “We are proud and happy that we can introduce our new and innovative technology on this renowned international platform. Our mission is to support and guide our wind customers in their ongoing quest for smarter, more sustainable ways to produce even larger rotor blades with superior quality. I am convinced that we can help them take a significant step further with this technology”.
