Memmingerberg, Germany-based supplier of lifting equipment for the wind power industry Ematec is launching a new wind turbine blade turning unit designed to facilitate easier, on-site service and maintenance.
The new blade turning unit makes it possible to pitch a rotor blade on the ground around its longitudinal axis. “This allows the blades to be rotated smoothly and continuously for repairs – in a neutral state without tension,” says Ematec’s chief technology officer Julian Eberhard. “Our new blade turner is sure to make an outstanding impact on the market, as this innovation will save companies millions of euros in service costs. For the first time ever, most repairs can now be carried out directly at the wind turbine site – eliminating huge logistics efforts. The business partners and customers to whom we have already presented the idea are completely thrilled.”
The new wind turbine blade turning unit will debut at the WindEnergy 2024 tradeshow in Hamburg (September 24 to 27, 2024).
The company has also expanded its premises by 5,000 m2, rebuilt two halls, invested in new production technology and transformed a whole range of processes.
“We had the opportunity to buy a neighbouring property,” says Eberhard. “We took advantage of this possibility and converted two halls there. These serve as assembly and storage areas. The expansion has given us more space overall, allowing us to separate the turning and milling departments in the machining area.”
Ematec has installed an additional CNC machining centre in the milling shop and a high-end universal lathe in the turning shop. The company says this enables it to significantly expand its capacity in the production of hydraulic cylinders and other steel components, thereby speeding up the manufacturing process as a whole.
Ematec has also invested in optimising its logistics by installing additional doors in the main production and service hall so that they can be accessed directly from the outside via the hall doors. This, it says, makes handling easier and helps complete service and maintenance orders for rotor blade yokes more quickly.
