Metronor Selected By LM Glasfiber To Verify Blade Geometry

Asker, Norway – In the quest for renewable energy, wind turbines play an important role. Efficiently generating energy from the wind requires advanced aerodynamic shapes and highly accurate airfoils. In fact, a few tenths of a millimeter deviation in wind turbine blade profile can cost the operator thousands in lost energy revenue.

LM Glasfiber – by far the largest manufacturer of blades in the world – has selected portable measurement systems from Metronor to certify the blade geometry at all of the company's plants all over the world. This effort is part of LM Glasfiber's constant drive to secure and improve product quality to remain the leading supplier in this burgeoning market.

Metronor's solution was chosen based on an extensive study of available technologies.

Metronor CEO, Mr. Oeyvind Roetvold explains: 'To reach the objectives of LM Glasfiber a technology was needed that produced accurate and reliable results when operated on the shop floor in a rigid environment. It was also important that the solution had the capability to capture all the critical data on each blade yet requiring only modest operator training. Metronor's systems met all LM Glasfibers requirements and passed rigorous functional and accuracy tests. Additionally we worked closely with LM to develop semi-automated procedures supported in the inspection software. We are very pleased with the resulting solution.'

Laura Rodríguez Gil, Global Process Engineer at LM Glasfiber: 'The measurement system enables us to document the geometry of each blade we ship to our customers. At the same time it also enables us to benchmark our various processes and plants around the world, and verify the effects of further improvements in the future. Due to the relatively affordable cost and simplicity of operation, we are able to roll this technology out in all our plants, world-wide, in a brief few months and standardize on both the technology and how it is used.'

SOURCE: LM Glasfiber