A method and system temporarily holds a workpiece, most suitably an aero engine turbine blade element during manufacture. The workholding system includes a support body with a contoured body surface, complementary to a workpiece surface, formed of a transparent material to define a bonding zone. The support body is supported by a base to form a workpiece shuttle, and a bond station receives the workpiece shuttle. Complementary zero-point locating elements on the shuttle and station assure accurate positioning. The bond station further has workpiece locating elements configured to accurately position the workpiece on the shuttle in a predetermined position relative to the zero-point locating elements of the shuttle, thereby compensating for shuttle-to-shuttle variance. An adhesive, such as a UV curable adhesive, is applied to the bonding zone and cured by UV through the transparent material, thereby fixing the workpiece in the predetermined position.

A mould aligner is used to align and lock a first mould and a second mould for moulding shell parts of a wind turbine blade. The mould aligner includes a first alignment segment configured to be attached to a first mould and a second alignment segment configured to be attached to a second mould. The second alignment segment includes a hydraulic cylinder having a barrel and a piston rod. The piston rod is axially displaceable and rotatable with respect to the barrel. The hydraulic cylinder includes a lock part having a first rod part and a locking element being provided on the first rod part. The first rod part is configured for being received in and engaged in the locking cavity of the first alignment segment. The hydraulic cylinder includes a cylinder part comprising the barrel and a second rod part having a piston.

A method for fabrication of a wind turbine blade includes providing a plug to define a mold, the plug including at least one female surface feature formed therein. Forming a mold, the mold configured for forming a wind turbine blade surface and having a male surface feature(s) corresponding to the at least one female surface feature of the plug. Forming a wind turbine blade surface within the mold, the wind turbine blade surface having a female surface feature(s) corresponding to the male surface feature(s) of the mold. Incorporating at least one optical marker within the female surface feature of the wind turbine blade surface. Providing predetermined optical marker location(s) associated with the wind turbine blade surface. Projecting at least one optical beam directed towards at least one optical marker. Receiving at least one reflective beam from the at least one optical marker to identify the location of the optical marker disposed on the wind turbine blade surface; and comparing predetermined optical marker location(s) to the identified optical marker location.

A method for manufacturing an impeller with a number of impeller blades and a cover disc covering the impeller blades. Plastic is injected into an injection mold using a cascade injection molding process to form the impeller. The injection mold has a number of shut-off nozzles to feed the plastic at various joint positions and different opening times. The number of shut-off nozzles is determined as a function of the number of impeller blades.

A method of forming a structural web for a wind turbine blade comprises providing a web member having a web portion and a flange portion extending away from each other, where 5 a heel of substantially curvilinear form is located between the web portion and the flange portion. A planar flange extender comprising a cured composite material is arranged together with the web member with the flange extender positioned adjacent to the flange portion so that a portion of the flange extender projects past the heel and away from the web portion. The flange extender is integrated with the web member in a resin matrix, or 10 with an adhesive, to form the structural web. A structural web and a wind turbine blade comprising the web is disclosed.

A method for manufacturing a blade in composite material with added metal leading edge for gas turbine aeroengine, the method including producing a batch of plurality of blade bodies in composite material; creating a digital model of a blade body from a blade in the batch of plurality of blade bodies; creating a digital model of a theoretical final blade including a leading edge; generating a digital model of a leading edge from the digital model of a blade body and final blade model; manufacturing at least one leading edge via additive manufacturing from the generated leading edge digital model; bonding each manufactured leading edge onto a blade body from the batch of plurality of blade bodies.

The present invention relates to a wind turbine blade comprising a lightning protection system with at least one tip end lightning receptor arranged at an outer surface of the blade and a down conductor extending within the blade. The blade comprises carbon fibre reinforced spar caps, wherein electrically conductive meshes are connected between the respective tip end of each spar cap to the tip end lightning conductor.

Devices, systems, and methods of improving paste flow during the manufacture of wind turbine blades are provided. An apparatus for applying adhesive to a composite structure (e.g. wind turbine blade) comprises a paste shoe having a top surface with an aperture to receive a supply of adhesive, and two legs extending downwardly from the top surface and configured to engage a surface of the composite structure to define an interior volume within the paste shoe. A transport mechanism (e.g. wheels, treads) are disposed on each leg to move the paste shoe relative to the composite structure while adhesive is dispensed within the interior volume. A force applicator, applies a force to the paste shoe to maintain a constant interior volume and thus a uniform bead of paste is applied to the composite structure.

The present invention relates to a blade (7) comprising: a composite material structure (17), a blade root fastening portion (9) further comprising a shoulder (10) extending into the recess from the wall a base (18) arranged in the recess and comprising a support member configured to abut against the shoulder (10) of the blade root fastening portion (9) and a passage (39) formed in the support member, the sections (23) of the blade root portion (22) of the composite material structure extending through the passage (39), and a blocking part (19) arranged in the recess between the two sections (23) of the blade root portion (22) such that each section of the blade root portion (23) is pressed against the support member by the blocking part (19).

The present invention relates to a blade comprising: a structure of aerodynamic profile comprising two mutually opposite skins; and a spar comprising a fibrous reinforcement obtained by three-dimensional weaving and densified by the matrix, the spar comprising a blade root portion extending outside the structure of aerodynamic profile and an airfoil portion arranged inside the structure of aerodynamic profile between the two skins. Moreover, within the blade root portion, the fibrous reinforcement of the spar comprises a non-debound region and at least two debound regions extending radially from the non-debound region so as to form at least four separate branches.