Windmill Blade Molds 3D Printed By National Labs (energy.gov)

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Windmill Blade Molds 3D Printed By National Labs (energy.gov)

Posted by yaelk on Tuesday February 9, 2016 @07:32AM from the gone-with-the-wind dept.

MountainLogic writes: Last year ORNL produced a 3D printed Shelby. This year, the National Labs are using the mother of all 3D printers to make windmill molds cheaper and faster to produce in the US. The size of the current 150 foot utility scale blades are being extended with these techniques. US DOE is providing a leading role to advance US manufacturing technology and competitiveness. Welcome back rust belt, we missed you.

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Link to TFA by sims+2 · 2016-02-09 07:37 · Score: 4, Informative

http://energy.gov/eere/article...
For mobile users till that gets fixed.

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Re:Cheaper and Faster???? by bws111 · 2016-02-09 07:47 · Score: 2

Reading is Fundamental. They printed a MOLD in order to mass-produce the blades using regular manufacturing techniques.
Re:Cheaper and Faster???? by Mr+D+from+63 · 2016-02-09 07:59 · Score: 2

Why are 3d printed molds going to be so much better than CNC produced molds?
Re:Huh? by barc0001 · 2016-02-09 08:02 · Score: 3, Informative

3D printed objects aren't the strongest due to the way the layers are laminated together. I imagine the last place you'd want a weak join is on a 150+ foot long blade swishing through the air. Better to make the mold and then form the actual blade in the mold.
Re:Cheaper and Faster???? by LuxuryYacht · 2016-02-09 08:07 · Score: 2

Because these are 3D printed molds.

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Re:Cheaper and Faster???? by buchner.johannes · 2016-02-09 08:08 · Score: 3, Informative

Because you don't need a plug. Says TFA. Presumably that is a positive shape that has to be produced first out of which the mold is made. With 3d printing you can make the mold directly.
I guess with CNC (subtractive manufacturing) you can only make a blade shape, but not its negative while with 3d printing (additive manufacturing) you can make either.

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Re:Cheaper and Faster???? by Mr+D+from+63 · 2016-02-09 08:23 · Score: 2

You can make a negative mold with CNC, you just do it in two halves. It is done all the time. I do see how you might produce a continuous enclosed mode with 3D, but its hard to see why that method is advantageous regarding the final product.
Re:Cheaper and Faster???? by Mr+D+from+63 · 2016-02-09 08:28 · Score: 2

After a bit more thought, I could see how CNC produced molds might require a lot more material to start with, if the blade has a very curved shape. But I'm not sure why just doing it in sections that fit together would be a big disadvantage either.
Re:Cheaper and Faster???? by U2xhc2hkb3QgU3Vja3M · 2016-02-09 09:22 · Score: 2

According to Stratasys, for small runs and development, 3D-printed plastic molds are faster to make and cheaper than CNC-milled aluminium or steel molds.