Provided is a mold adapted for producing a wind turbine blade, including a first carrier and a shell for accommodating blade building elements to be embedded in a resin matrix for building a blade body part, which shell is placed on the first carrier, and a second carrier changeable in its length and elongating the first carrier adapted to accommodate a prefabricated blade tip to be connected to the blade body part when the blade body part is built.

A hybrid mold includes (a) an Invar eggcrate structure, (b) an Invar interim working surface and (c) a CF composite material overlay. The eggcrate and interim working surface are welded or otherwise connected together to form a unitary base mold. The CF overlay is bonded to the interim working surface. The CF overlay is easily reconfigurable and can be replaced without destroying the integrity of the base mold.

A display system includes: an imaging unit that images a mold from below; and a display unit that displays an image taken by the imaging unit together with a carry-in range of the mold in order to transport the mold in place between the stationary platen and the moving platen.

A method for manufacturing preforms for a wind turbine blade is provided, with the steps: providing a mold p and arranging a preform building material p in a transferable mold element removably arranged on a mold carrier, fixating the preform building material in the mold element, removing the mold element with the fixed preform building material from the mold carrier and transferring it into a heating means, heating the preform building material for producing the preform, removing the mold element with the preform from the heating means and cooling the preform.

A direct mold includes a plank frame and a mold surface body held in shape by the plank frame. The plank frame is made of a plurality of planar panels that are aligned transversely to the longitudinal extension of the rotor blade and are arranged spaced with respect to each other in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the rotor blade. The panels of the plank frame have recesses, into which the mold surface body is inserted and which reproduces in its sequence in the plank frame mainly a progression of a contour of a part of a rotor blade profile. The mold surface body has a layer structure that includes a support layer and a sandwich layer. The support layer is made of rails that are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the rotor blade in a manner bridging the distances between the panels.

A blade mould and a method for manufacturing a blade shell part of a wind turbine blade is disclosed. The blade mould comprises a first mould frame; a mould shell supported by the first mould frame and provided with a moulding surface that defines an outer shape of the blade shell part, wherein the mould shell has a longitudinal direction and comprises a root end mould part at a first end thereof; and a first deformation device for deforming the root end mould part of the mould shell. The method comprises arranging reinforcement material on the moulding surface of the root end mould part; deforming the root end mould part to a receiving configuration; inserting the root end insert in the root end mould part; and bringing the root end mould part to a moulding configuration.

A mold arrangement for producing a preform element of a wind turbine blade includes a mold carrier and a plate- or tray-like mold element arranged at the mold carrier with a form defining mold surface adapted to receive preform building material, a first heating device arranged below the mold element for heating the preform building material from below the mold element, and a second heating device for heating the preform building material from above.

A method of forming a composite structure is presented. A charge is placed on a charge support surface of a charge forming table in a planar orientation, the charge support surface formed by a plurality of surfaces of a plurality of charge forming fingers. A number of charge forming fingers of the plurality of charge forming fingers is actuated to form a curvature into the charge. The charge having the curvature is removed from the charge forming table. The charge having the curvature is placed onto a tool having a matching surface curvature.

A heating device to heat a molding face, particularly a large molding face. The heating device includes a metal sheet having a ferromagnetic layer, and a part formed into a shape that defines the molding face and a forming plane. A base of the heating device supports the metal sheet. An inductor of the heating device provides the induction heating of the metal sheet.

A mold for use in fabricating a gas turbine fan casing out of composite material includes a mandrel for having wound thereon a fiber preform of a fan casing and an annular wall with an outside surface of profile corresponding to the profile of the inside surface of the casing that is to be fabricated and of two lateral rims of profiles corresponding to the profiles of outer flanges of the casing that is to be fabricated; a plurality of mold cover angular sectors that are assembled in leaktight manner on the mandrel and that are to close the mold and to compact the fiber preform wound on the mandrel; and a plurality of locking keys configured to lock together in leaktight manner neighboring mold cover sectors. A method of closing such a mold, and a method of fabricating a fan casing are included.