The $6.3m Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (AMII) is focusing on honing skills in blade fabrication through 23 "small, targeted" projects ranging from automated laying and finishing, using simulation to develop more efficient manufacturing process flows and improved NDI (nondestructive inspection) practices.
The initiative is set to run for three years.
"Wind turbine blade manufacturing consists of a labor-intensive set of highly distributed manual operations including layup of very high volumes of material, infusion, secondary bonding and demolding for many sub-assemblies over a vast manufacturing floor area," says Sandia manager Daniel Laird.
"All
