09-27-2022

WINTERSTEIGER AROUND YOU

WINTERSTEIGER is known for its machines and systems for commercial and industrial customers. Many products produced on our machines are also used by you! In our "WINTERSTEIGER AROUND YOU" series, we show you where these products are found in everyday life and the role that WINTERSTEIGER has played. 

 

Series 11: Wind farms

 

Wind power is one of the pillars of the energy revolution: 7 % of electricity produced worldwide is already being generated using wind. The most powerful wind turbines in the world with a rotor blade diameter of up to 220 meters (known as "offshore turbines" in bodies of water) can supply 22,000 households with energy.

 

So what does WINTERSTEIGER have to do with wind farms? Simply put, we produce the saws for manufacturing the rotor blades. The core of the rotor blades consists, among other things, of balsa wood, PET, and PVC - all materials that are cut using band saws from HEMA, a subsidiary of WINTERSTEIGER.

 

For the parts made of balsa, for example, this extremely lightweight wood (known from model making) is glued together to form a large engineered wooden block. A high-precision HEMA horizontal band saw then cuts the blocks into thin boards with a tolerance of +/- 0.5 mm. These are milled, grooved, and drilled so that they are flexible and fit in the rotor blade. The core materials only account for around 5 % of the total weight of a rotor blade. It is lightweight and at the same time extremely stable, and can withstand windy conditions for 20 years or more.

 

You can view the detailed structure of a rotor blade here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/cms/asset/3ac17262-86a2-4497-98d1-3dff7ea4d5f3/ciuz202100012-fig-0200-m.jpg

 



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