The University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center received a grant from the United States Department of Energy. It’s worth $2.8 million and must be spent on perfecting the method of 3D printing equipment for wind turbine blade production. The University is planning to print molds on a large-format 3D printer and use recyclable composite materials with cellulose fillers.
According to the University of Maine Press Office, the project is geared towards reducing the cost and increasing the speed of production processes, since currently, the costs of a kit for large-format equipment for turbine blades production could reach tens of million dollars, while the production cycle can last up to 1.5 years.
Large-sized molds will be produced on the world’s largest polymer 3D printer at the UMaine Advanced Structures and Composites Center. It will use recyclable biopolymers, reinforced with wood. “By combining cutting-edge 3D printing manufacturing with bio-based feedstocks, our team estimates that new blade development costs can be reduced by 25% to 50% and accelerated by at least 6 months,” says Habib Dagher, the executive director of the Composites Center. “Molds produced using these materials can be ground up and reused in other molds, making them a more sustainable solution.”
The researchers think that using biopolymers with fillers made of cellulose micro- and nanofibers will allow them to get the products with mechanical properties comparable to those of aluminum while saving money: one pound of quality ABS plastic costs over $5, while the biomaterial will cost around $2. Moreover, the team is planning to integrate heat elements into 3D printed molds using Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) innovations for a more precise surface temperature control. They will also participate in ORNL additive manufacturing research for using polymers reinforced with continuous fibers.
In the fall of 2019, the University of Maine set three records at once with their 3D printed 7-meter long boat, produced using a large-format hybrid additive substrate system by Ingersoll. They are planning to use the same equipment for this new project.