Product category:
Fast prototyping equipment, pattern-making and services
News Release from: Protomold UK | Subject: Plastic moulded components
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 08 October 2007
Plastic moulded components for downwind
turbines
Proven Energy has used plastic moulded components from Protomould in its range of small scale, down-wind turbines.
Renewable energy is big business and a growing number of turbine manufacturers are entering the global market for alternative power generation Established wind turbine manufacturers are constantly seeking ways to differentiate themselves in the marketplace
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 10 Jan 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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Rapid injection moulding speeds low volumes
Rapid injection moulding, with a web-based customer interface and software, and CNC machine tools, has radically changed the economics and lead times of prototype and low-volume production.
Injection-moulded parts produced in three days
Thanks to its recent investment in, CNC machining centres, the Protomold Company can offer production quality, finished injection-moulded parts - from CAD model - in just three days.
Proven Energy's turbines are down-wind models, which means that they work with nature and not against it, as upwind turbines do.
The main benefit is that Proven turbines can be used in even the most severe winds, without danger of damaging the unit.
By turning to Protomold to supply the only plastic moulded component used on its range of small scale, down-wind turbines, Proven is simultaneously improving build-quality whilst saving both assembly time and also labour costs.
Further reading
Rapid injection moulded box full of data
UK based rapid injection moulding company Protomold would like to send a box to product designers and manufacturing engineers.
Web site covers rapid injection moulding
Multi-lingual Web site makes an online rapid injection moulding service even easier to use, with concise and simple advice on all the important aspects of the process.
Wind turbine plastic propeller blades moulded
Protomold, rapid injection-moulding specialist, is manufacturing plastic propeller blades for micro wind turbines designed by Samrey Generators and Turbines.
Based at Stewarton in Ayrshire, Proven Energy was established 27 years ago and has installed over 1000 small-scale wind turbines worldwide since the business began producing turbines, in 1991.
The company's range consists of three models: the 2.5kW unit, which is often used for powering a typical three-bedroom house in the UK; the 6kW turbine, which gives about three times more yield than a 2.5kW model and therefore is better suited to a larger house or to someone who wants to generate an excess of electricity for exporting to the national grid; and the Proven 15kW, the most recent addition to the range for light industrial, light commercial and agricultural use.
With each model subject to ongoing improvement, a recent production initiative at the company has been to focus on automating the winding of the generator core on the 6kW model.
"We knew that automating the winding of the generator would save bundles of labour time and bring a real quality improvement to the end product, explains Jonathan Nowill, Proven Energy's Engineering Director.
"However, this process relies on the accurate spacing of the actual winding.
With this in mind we approached Protomold to produce the moulded part designed to do the job - a plastic bobbin that acts as an accurate spacer on the core." Proven designed a model of the part and submitted it to Protomold for review.
"Protomold came back with a few suggested modifications that would help the moulding process, both in terms of the actual product design, and the material used," says Mr Nowill.
"We had a couple of rounds of modifications and material changes, throughout which the guys at Protomold were extremely efficient and very helpful." With 18 bobbins on each 6kW machine, the annual volumes when production commences in the coming months will be around 10,000 a year.
Once extended to Proven Energy's other models, this will escalate further.
"We are not quite in production yet, but so far I have been very impressed with Protomold," states Mr Nowill.
"Not only have they reacted quickly and professionally to all of our requests, the turnaround times have been very impressive.
The nature of our business means that unfortunately we always need things in a hurry.
Protomold proved considerably faster than a conventional injection mould tool maker." Products falling within certain size and design parameters can now be delivered in as little as 1 working day.
Customers submitting part models using the Protomold web-based quoting system ProtoQuote can receive detailed manufacturability analysis and an all-in production price in just hours.
Once any part modifications have been made, the company can deliver finished parts in a production-intent material in one business day "This is a major step forward," says Managing Director John Tumelty.
"There is no other way of getting high-quality, precision plastic parts manufactured as quickly or for such a low price.
"By providing design engineers with 1-business day turnaround, we're giving them the ability to better manage their product design, reduce the number of pre-production difficulties and bring products to market quicker than ever before.".
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