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February 5, 2021 As the market for wind energy continues to grow, it becomes more important to be able to design and manufacture wind blades quickly and at reasonable costs. The development of molds and tools for large blades can take more than a year and cost more than $10 million. The University of Maine (UMaine) Advanced Structures and Composites Center is looking to change that paradigm by developing a 3D printing solution for fabricating large, segmented wind blade molds. While working on the 3D printing project funded by a $2.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of ...

In Maine, the US Department of Energy has awarded the University of Maine $2.8 million to develop an additive for 3D manufacturing of wind turbine blades. The grant will see large wind blade molds printed at UMaine’s Composite Center, home to the world’s largest polymer 3D printer, according to Habib Dagher, executive director of UMaine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center. The turbines will ultimately be produced using biobased materials reinforced with wood.  “By combining cutting-edge 3D printing manufacturing with bio-based feedstocks, our team estimates that new blade dev...

0 Shares The University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center received $2.8 million from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to develop a rapid, low-cost additive manufacturing solution for fabricating large, segmented wind blade molds. The Department of Energy’s focus aims to combat the current costs of wind turbine technology. Innovation in large wind blade technology is a costly and time-intensive process. Molds and tooling for large blades can cost upward of $10 million. The time to market of 16–20 months stifles innovation ...

The University was awarded $2.8 million for this three-year project which will begin next month.

By Staff The University of Maine has been awarded $2.8 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a rapid, low-cost additive manufacturing — 3D printing — solution for making large, segmented molds for wind-turbine blades.  In addition to receiving the federal funds, the UMaine Advanced Structures and Composites Center will collaborate on a $4 million award to Oak Ridge National Laboratory to apply robotic deposition of continuous reinforcing fibers in wind blades. Developing large wind blades is usually a costly and time-intensive process. Molds and tooling for...