A production mold for a rotor blade of a wind turbine is provided, having two mold half-shells each with an open side and arranged in a retaining device, wherein the two retaining devices are connected to one another in an articulated manner and can be swung back and forth from an open position, in which the two mold half-shells are arranged one beside the other with their open sides oriented upward, into a closed position, in which the two mold half-shells are arranged one above the other with their open sides oriented toward one another, with a plurality of two-component closures, of which the one component is arranged on the first retaining device and of which the other component is arranged on the second retaining device, and wherein the two components can be closed and opened again by means of at least one actuator, by way of at least two separate movements of the component or of the two components.

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of making a wind turbine blade. The method comprises providing a blade shell mould, providing a plurality of 5 substantially planar strips of reinforcing material, and arranging the plurality of strips in the mould in a first stack to form at least part of a first spar cap. The method further comprises providing a retaining clip having a substantially planar body and upper and lower flanges projecting transversely to the planar body, wherein the flanges and the body together define a first receiving region on a first side of the retaining clip, and the 10 method further comprises arranging the retaining clip on a side of the first stack such that the strips in the first stack are received in the first receiving region. [Figure 5 to accompany abstract]

A method of manufacturing a fibre-composite article is described, wherein a layer of fibre material is applied from a layup head to a mould along a layup path. The angle at which the fibre material is dispensed from the layup head is rotated relative to the angle of orientation of the layup path, to minimise the effects of gravity on the alignment of the fibre layer in the mould. The fibre-composite article is preferably a section of a blade for a wind turbine.

A method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade includes the use of an apparatus having an engagement part. The engagement part has: a support element having a first support edge and a second support edge, a belt extending around the support element and forming a primary engagement edge of the engagement part along the first support edge of the support element. The method includes: providing one or more pre-shaped elements, including a first pre-shaped element, in a first element position, positioning the engagement part in a first position, moving the support element in a first direction with a first velocity to extend underneath the first pre-shaped element, and at the same time moving the belt relative to the support element around the first support edge in a primary direction from below the first support edge to above the first support edge with a primary velocity.

A method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade, includes the steps of: arranging an upper mould including a pre-casted fibre lay-up on a lower mould comprising a dry fibre lay-up and a mould core, applying vacuum to a space between the upper and lower moulds and the mould core, infusing at least the dry fibre lay-up and a connection region between the dry fibre lay-up and the pre-casted fibre lay-up with a resin, and curing the resin.

By having the pre-casted fibre lay-up in the upper mould, the packing and positioning of dry composite materials on top of the mould core is avoided.

The present invention relates to a reinforcing structure, such as a reinforcing structure for reinforcing a wind turbine blade, comprising: a first composite element layer comprising at least two carbon fibre reinforced composite elements; a second composite element layer comprising one or more carbon fibre reinforced composite elements; an interlayer sandwiched at least partly between the first and the second composite element layer, the interlayer comprising an electrically conductive portion and a non-conductive portion surrounding the conductive portion, the conductive portion abutting exactly two of the carbon fibre reinforced composite elements comprised in the first composite element layer. A method for manufacturing such a structure is also provided.

A turning system for turning wind turbine blade shell part carriers between an open position and a closed position about a turning axis, comprising: a lower blade shell part carrier having a support surface for receiving and supporting a lower wind turbine blade part; an upper blade shell part carrier and having a support surface for receiving and supporting an upper wind turbine blade part; and at least one turning device each including: a lower hinge element, such as a beam, arranged under the support surface of the lower blade shell part carrier; and a turning hinge having a lower hinge part attached to the respective lower hinge element, an upper hinge part attached to the upper blade shell part carrier, and an actuator configured for turning the lower and upper hinge parts relative to each other about the turning axis.

A method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade is provided, including the steps of: a) arranging a fiber lay-up on a mandrel tool, the mandrel tool including a frame and, as seen in cross-section, at least two mandrel portions connected to the frame, and wherein at least a portion of the fiber lay-up is supported by an outer surface of the at least two mandrel portions, b) reducing a cross-section size of the mandrel tool by retracting at least one of the mandrel portions towards the frame, c) arranging the mandrel tool inside adjacent blade sections, d) increasing the cross-section size of the mandrel tool by extending at least one of the mandrel portions away from the frame, and e) infusing at least a portion of the fiber lay-up with a resin and curing the resin to obtain a cured joining portion joining the blade sections inside.

A method of manufacturing a composite structure, e.g. wind turbine blade, using reusable and removable perimeter plates to establish air flow channels in conjunction with a vacuum bag and mold. An exemplary setting is the perimeter of large wind blade shells where a perimeter vacuum is used to retain the part in the mold for the bonding process. The reusable plates disclosed herein create air channels whether the vacuum is introduced to the perimeter of the mold: i) through the flange in different locations; or ii) with the use of vacuum lines into the perimeter bag; or iii) built in vacuum channels in the flange of the mold.

A wind turbine blade of a wind turbine, the wind turbine blade including a shell and a spar having at least one spar cap is provided. At least one of the at least one spar cap includes at least two longitudinal support structure elements, whereby at least two of the at least two longitudinal support structure elements are arranged adjacent to one another in a longitudinal direction of the wind turbine blade and at least one longitudinal support structure includes carbon fiber-reinforced plastic and at least one other longitudinal support structure includes at least one fiber-reinforced plastic different from carbon fiber-reinforced plastic.