In the production of rotor blades for wind turbines, large quantities of synthetic resins are used for the bonding of the up to 85-meter-long blade shells alone. For almost three decades, TARTLER GROUP has been equipping well-known manufacturers in the industry with the modular multi-component systems of its Nodopox series for the largely automated dosing, mixing and application of mostly high viscosity pastes. Six years ago, the company started developing vacuum-based degassing stations that enabled rotor blade producers to make their synthetic resin processing much more material- and cost-efficient. The new TAVA 200 F vacuum systems are now setting technological standards in terms of sustainable process optimization. This is because the complete, bubble-free filling and transfer of the synthetic resins into lidded drums paves the way for safe material handling and the implementation of resource-saving and cost-effective preparation and recycling processes.

Degassing station reduces material loss

For a long time, a constant source of annoyance in rotor blade production was that large quantities of homogeneous resin residues – from opened drums or from the preparation phase – could not be reused or recycled. They had to be removed and disposed of, which had a negative impact on costs and ran counter to all approaches to the sustainable use of materials. Several on-site analyses by TARTLER engineers revealed, for example, that even when drums were emptied properly and in accordance with the operating instructions, up to 14 kg of material still remained in the inliners – clearly visible after drum changes in the dosing and mixing systems. What’s more, testing and quality controls lead to several kilograms of leftover material – per rotor blade. Added to that, residual quantities from flushing, surpluses and other ancillary work also create waste. Until now, however, it has not been possible to simply return the residual material produced at the various points to the production process. The reason: Air pockets, air bubbles and moisture are created when filling the lidded drums. If this “disturbing air” were to enter the pump of the dosing and mixing system during removal, transfer and dosing of the material, the manufacturing process would be massively disrupted. Process interruptions would be required to flush the complete system (several times) with material for it to work air-free and properly again. All this would lead to considerable material losses and further costs, since prefabricated components would have to be restored and upstream processes would have to be cleaned at great expense.

Returning material residues

With the TAVA 200 F degassing station, the TARTLER GROUP offers a way out of this dilemma. With this system, both liquid and paste-like residues can be filled into lidded drums without “disturbing air” and then safely reintroduced into the processing cycle with minimal loss. Significant savings in material purchasing can be achieved in this way. By using the TAVA 200 F, a leading wind turbine manufacturer was recently able to reduce its synthetic resin consumption by approx. 28 tonnes of synthetic resin paste per year, thus considerably reducing the overall costs in its rotor blade production. In this way, the system also counteracts waste and makes a considerable contribution to the conservation of resources. It also improves the environmental balance of the company’s value chain and reduces its ecological footprint.