Material layup apparatus and method for producing wind turbine blades using fiber plies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12589558-B2
Application number	US-202318836019-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2023
Priority date	Mar 23, 2022
Publication date	Mar 31, 2026
Grant date	Mar 31, 2026

Abstract

A material layup apparatus ( 100 ) for producing wind turbine blades using fiber plies ( 31 ), comprising a first gantry ( 1 ) with a transversal beam ( 11 ) extending over a mold receiving space ( 10 ). The first gantry ( 1 ) comprising at least one gripping unit ( 4 a, 4 b ) attached to the transversal beam ( 11 ) and being moveable both in the transversal direction (T) and in a vertical direction (V) so as to be lowerable into and retractable from the mold receiving space ( 10 ). Further, the material layup apparatus ( 100 ) has a second gantry ( 2 ) comprising a transversal beam ( 21 ) extending over the mold receiving space ( 10 ) providing a storage area ( 24 ) for a stack ( 3 ) of fiber plies ( 31 ). The second gantry ( 2 ) is adapted to be moveable in the longitudinal direction (L) into a ply-pickup position in that the storage area ( 24 ) of the second gantry ( 2 ) is arranged under the at least one gripping unit ( 4 a, 4 b ) of the first gantry ( 1 ) so that at least one ply ( 31 ) of the fiber plies ( 31 ) provided on the stack ( 3 ) of fiber plies ( 31 ) can be picked up by the at least one gripping unit ( 4 a, 4 b ).
Thus, a transversal material layup that currently includes many process steps that include manual labor can be automated and by that productivity as well as safety can be increased.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A material layup apparatus ( 100 ) for producing wind turbine blades using fiber plies ( 31 ), comprising:
a first gantry ( 1 ) comprising a transversal beam ( 11 ) extending over a mold receiving space ( 10 ) in a transversal direction (T) of the mold receiving space ( 10 ), the mold receiving space provided with a lower mold ( 20 ) having the shape of at least a portion of a wind turbine blade, the first gantry ( 1 ) further comprising at least one gripping unit ( 4 a , 4 b ) attached to the transversal beam ( 11 ) that is moveable both in the transversal direction (T) and in a vertical direction (V) so as to be lowerable into and retractable from the mold receiving space ( 10 ), a second gantry ( 2 ) comprising a transversal beam ( 21 ) extending over the mold receiving space ( 10 ) in the transversal direction (T) of the mold receiving space ( 10 ), wherein the second gantry ( 2 ) provides a storage area ( 24 ) for a stack ( 3 ) of fiber plies ( 31 ), wherein the first and second gantry ( 1 , 2 ) are moveable along a longitudinal direction (L) of the mold receiving space ( 10 ), and wherein the second gantry ( 2 ) is adapted to be moveable in the longitudinal direction (L) into a ply-pickup position in that the storage area ( 24 ) of the second gantry ( 2 ) is arranged under the at least one gripping unit ( 4 a , 4 b ) of the first gantry ( 1 ) so that at least one ply ( 31 ) of the fiber plies ( 31 ) provided on the stack ( 3 ) of fiber plies ( 31 ) can be picked up by the at least one gripping unit ( 4 a , 4 b ).

2 . The apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one gripping unit ( 4 a , 4 b ) comprises a gripping unit ( 4 a ) and a further gripping unit ( 4 b ) attached to the transversal beam ( 11 ) of the first gantry and moveable both in the transversal direction (T) and in the vertical direction (V) so as to be lowerable into and retractable from the mold receiving space ( 10 ).

3 . The apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first gantry ( 1 ) comprises at least one draping unit ( 5 a , 5 b ) attached to the transversal beam ( 11 ) of the first gantry and moveable both in the transversal direction (T) and in the vertical direction (V) so as to be lowerable into and retractable from the mold receiving space ( 10 ).

4 . The apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one gripping unit ( 4 a , 4 b ), and the at least one draping unit ( 5 a , 5 b ) comprise an end-effector selected from the group comprising a vacuum gripper ( 41 a , 41 b , 51 a ), a needle gripper, a finger gripper and a combined vacuum-needle gripper ( 42 a , 42 b ).

5 . The apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one gripping unit ( 4 a , 4 b ) and the at least one draping unit ( 5 a , 5 b ) are attached to a cartesian robot ( 6 ) mounted to the transversal beam ( 11 ) of the first gantry ( 1 ).

6 . The apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second gantry ( 1 , 2 ) are guided in the longitudinal direction (L) of the mold receiving space ( 10 ) on at least one guide rail ( 23 ), and/or
wherein the transversal beam ( 11 , 21 ) of the first and/or second gantry ( 1 , 2 ) have a larger transversal extension than the mold, wherein the transversal beam ( 21 ) of the second gantry ( 2 ) has a smaller transversal extension than the transversal beam ( 11 ) of the first gantry ( 1 ).

7 . A material layup method for producing wind turbine blades using fiber plies ( 31 ), using an apparatus ( 100 ) of claim 1 , comprising the steps of: a) moving the second gantry ( 2 ) in the longitudinal direction (L) into the ply-pickup position in that the storage area ( 24 ) of the second gantry ( 2 ) is arranged under the at least one gripping unit ( 4 a , 4 b ) of the first gantry ( 1 ), b) lowering the at least one gripping unit ( 4 a , 4 b ) of the first gantry ( 1 ) in the vertical direction (V) towards the storage area ( 24 ) of the second gantry ( 2 ), activating the at least one gripping unit ( 4 a , 4 b ) and picking up at least one ply ( 31 ) of the fiber plies ( 31 ) provided on the stack ( 3 ) of fiber plies ( 31 ) with the at least one gripping unit ( 4 a , 4 b ), c) moving the at least one gripping unit ( 4 a , 4 b ) in the vertical direction (V) to lift off the at least one ply ( 31 ) of the stack ( 3 ) of fiber plies ( 31 ), d) retracting the second gantry ( 2 ) in the longitudinal direction (L) so that the storage area ( 24 ) of the second gantry ( 2 ) is displaced longitudinally from the at least one gripping unit ( 4 a , 4 b ) of the first gantry ( 1 ), e) lowering the at least one gripping unit ( 4 a , 4 b ) of the first gantry ( 1 ) towards the lower mold ( 20 ) and placing the at least one ply ( 31 ) on a surface of the lower mold ( 20 ), f) de-activating the at least one gripping unit ( 4 a , 4 b ) and retracting the at least one gripping unit ( 4 a , 4 b ) in the vertical direction (V), and g) placing a mandrel ( 30 ) inside the lower mold ( 20 ) on top of the at least one ply ( 31 ) placed inside the lower mold ( 20 ).

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one gripping unit ( 4 a , 4 b ) comprises a gripping unit ( 4 a ) and a further gripping unit ( 4 b ) attached to the transversal beam ( 11 ) of the first gantry and moveable both in the transversal direction (T) and in the vertical direction (V) so as to be lowerable into and retractable from the mold receiving space ( 10 ), wherein step b) comprises;
lowering the gripping unit ( 4 a ) and the further gripping ( 4 b ) unit of the first gantry ( 1 ) in the vertical direction (V) towards the storage area ( 24 ) of the second gantry ( 2 ), activating the gripping unit ( 4 a ) and the further gripping unit ( 4 b ) and picking up at least one ply ( 31 ) of the fiber plies ( 31 ) provided on the stack ( 3 ) of fiber plies ( 31 ) with the gripping unit ( 4 a ) and the further gripping unit ( 4 b ); wherein step c) comprises: moving the gripping unit ( 4 a ) and the further gripping unit ( 4 b ) in the vertical direction (V) to lift off the at least one ply ( 31 ) of the stack ( 3 ) of fiber plies ( 31 ), wherein step e) comprises: lowering the gripping unit ( 4 a ) and the further gripping unit ( 4 b ) of the first gantry ( 1 ) towards the lower mold ( 20 ) and placing the at least one ply ( 31 ) on the surface of the lower mold ( 20 ); and wherein step f) comprises; de-activating the gripping unit ( 4 a ) and the further gripping unit ( 4 b ) and retracting the gripping unit ( 4 a ) and the further gripping unit ( 4 b ) in the vertical direction (V); wherein the gripping unit ( 4 a ) and the further gripping unit ( 4 b ) are operated simultaneously.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein in step b) the gripping unit ( 4 a ) and the further gripping unit ( 4 b ) pick up the same at least one ply ( 31 ) in opposing transversal sections thereof and wherein in step e) the gripping unit ( 4 a ) and the further gripping unit ( 4 b ) place the same at least one ply ( 31 ) on opposing longitudinal edges ( 201 a , 201 b ) of the lower mold ( 20 ).

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the method comprises step a1) of placing ply-fixation elements ( 204 ), comprising a rake structure or finger structure, on the opposing longitudinal edges ( 201 a , 201 b ) of the lower mold ( 20 ), and wherein in step e) the gripping unit ( 4 a ) and the further gripping unit ( 4 b ) fixate the same at least one ply ( 31 ) on the ply-fixation elements ( 204 ) on the opposing

Assignees

• Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy As

Inventors

• Feht Christian

Classifications

• B29D99/0028

  hollow blades · CPC title

• B29C31/085

  combined with positioning the preforms according to predetermined patterns, e.g. positioning extruded preforms on conveyors (B29C70/30 takes precedence; for building tyres B29D30/08) · CPC title

• B29C70/30

  Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core · CPC title

• B29D99/0025

  Producing blades or the like, e.g. blades for turbines, propellers, or wings · CPC title

• B65H2701/172

  Composite material · CPC title