Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) member Kevin Harberts called on Congress today to support industry efforts to bring manufacturing back to America—for good.  Harberts, president and CEO of Kryton Engineered Metals, Inc. in Cedar Falls, Iowa, testified today before the U.S. House of Representative’s Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access about reshoring, or bringing outsourced manufacturing work back home to the U.S. In his testimony, Harberts stated, “This time a year ago we had 63 employees, today we have grown to 71 and hope to hire another 8–12 this year.  We attribute this growth directly to reshoring a product line which left the U.S. a decade ago and came back to America’s heartland.”

Founded in 1981, Kryton Metals is an industry leader in manufacturing spun and fabricated metal products.  Company sales were hurt by the economic downturn in 2008-9 and Harberts was forced to lay off a large number of employees.  His business turned around when a foreign manufacturer decided to reshore work and moved production from Europe to his plant in Iowa.

“Foreign manufacturers choose to reshore and source from U.S. suppliers for several reasons such as price, quality, availability of raw materials such as steel, and location,” said Harberts in his testimony.  “The decision of our customer to supply from Kryton Metals will carry us into 2020. … We are going to save our customer money, grow our business, and—most importantly—create jobs in Iowa and throughout our entire U.S. supply chain.”

Harberts has high hopes for the future of Kryton Metals and the U.S. manufacturing sector but said that uncertainty in Washington has a chilling effect on American manufacturing growth and reshoring opportunities.

“While politicians argue among themselves, employers like me are stuck in a holding pattern,” he said, “We don’t know whether Congress will extend the R&D Tax Credit, we’re unsure what new rules OSHA and the EPA will impose on us, and we can’t find qualified workers in large part because Congress has not updated our job training laws in over a decade.”

Harberts concluded his testimony by appealing to Congress to take action and make the U.S. a coveted manufacturing location for global businesses.

“Domestic manufacturers can only lower their prices so far and we’re not changing our location,” he pointed out.  “To improve manufacturing’s forecast, we must look to overseas opportunities and convince foreign customers that the U.S. is THE place for manufacturing. Manufacturers are doing our part to encourage reshoring—now it’s Washington’s turn.”

Direct-drive turbine now delivers 3.2 MW output, resulting in increased energy yield and lowered costs.

Step by step, Siemens Energy is successfully pursuing its strategy for lowering the costs of wind power. At the European annual event for the wind energy industry, EWEA 2014, Siemens Energy’s Wind Power Division reported how the uprated performance of its direct-drive D3 wind turbines extracts higher energy yields. Exhibiting under the slogan “Watts up!” Siemens presented the new onshore 3.2 megawatt wind turbine, which, depending on its site of installation, can deliver up to 4 percent higher annual yield than its predecessor model.

Siemens has uprated its Platform D3 electrical generating capacity from 3.0 to 3.2 megawatts by improving the turbine control system. The uprating simultaneously demonstrates what impressive structural reserves are designed into the innovative technology of Siemens’ gearless wind turbines. “One important goal of our development work is to utilize innovation to further tap the technical potential of our products,” said Henrik Stiesdal, CTO of Siemens Wind Power. Stiesdal also chaired the presentations on “Hardware Technology” at the accompanying EWEA Conference. Other experts from Siemens gave talks at the conference on topics such as energy storage technology and electrical systems.

Siemens also set up an Xpert Center at its booth, featuring short presentations addressing important questions about wind turbine engineering and operation. Siemens jointly presented one portion of the booth in its function as co-sponsor of the event with its host, the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). There, visitors experienced the interactive “Wind Challenge” exhibit to gain a true sense of just how much energy is born by wind by determining the correct wind speed of a simulated air flow.

3TIER, a Vaisala company operating in renewable energy assessment and forecasting, recently announced the public release of wind and solar annual averages from its global datasets as part of Google’s Map Gallery launch. Through its collaboration with Google, 3TIER is excited to make this contribution to the global community and vastly improve access to wind and solar resource information by making it freely available to both researchers and the general public in Google’s popular and widely used platform. 

In the past, gaining access to high quality global wind and solar resource information from a reliable, consistent source was not an option for most people. This information is vital to a wide variety of fields, from energy development, infrastructure, efficiency, and policy planning to agriculture and conservation. However, it is often beyond the budgets of the non-profits, NGO’s, and public agencies conducting this important research. For example, it will support individuals like energy consultant, Allison Archambault, and conservation geographer, James Oakleaf.

“My clients have found 3TIER’s data highly helpful in painting a picture of renewable energy potential,” said Allison Archambault, founder and principal, Fresh Generation, LLC, which provides strategic guidance, such as market research, policy analysis, and business development, to promote the adoption of sustainable, scalable renewable energy projects, particularly in rural and developing areas.  “With better visibility into renewable resources, policy makers, companies, and consumers can make better decisions about how to unlock the value of a clean economy. There is an ah-ha moment when people see the resource mix for their place on Earth, so this democratization of data is an important contribution to the public domain.”

James Oakleaf and his colleagues at The Nature Conservancy evaluate areas at risk for major development, including renewable energy, with the goal to help mitigate the impacts of new energy projects on wildlife and biodiversity. They will be using 3TIER’s data to support research estimating potential renewable generation capacity in lands of low value for biodiversity conservation, highlighting places were renewable energy development should be prioritized.

“In our research, we hope to show that renewable energy and the environment do not need to be in direct conflict. Through education, planning, and smart infrastructure growth, there are ways both can exist harmoniously,” Oakleaf said. “Global analysis like this requires a variety of data, and many times these are difficult to obtain, restricted in their use, or quite costly. Making high quality, accurate global data like 3TIER’s publicly available is a tremendous resource for those in the conservation community.”

“At 3TIER, our belief is that better information empowers smarter decision-making,” said Dr. Pascal Storck, 3TIER global director. “Google’s mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful is well aligned with our goal and we are thrilled to be a part of this launch. Together we are truly making a difference for people like James and Allison.”

3TIER’s wind and solar datasets provide a sophisticated alternative to publicly available sources. Each dataset offers annual average values created using proven, widely-accepted scientific techniques and derived from long-term historical weather models of 10 or more years at high spatial and temporal resolutions.

Access to 3TIER’s datasets within Google’s Map Gallery is available at: http://maps.google.com/gallery/search?hl=en&q=renewable+energy. 

First Wind has announced that it has obtained $206 million in financing for its Route 66 Wind project in Armstrong and Carson Counties, Texas. With financing closed for its first renewable energy project in Texas, First Wind will continue engineering and construction activities on the project.

The Route 66 Wind project is expected to deliver power to the ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) power markets through the new CREZ (Competitive Renewable Energy Zone) transmission system, and will generate clean, renewable energy through a capacity of 150 MW.

Route 66 Wind Power, LLC, a subsidiary of First Wind, closed on a $206 million financing  agreement for the Route 66 project, with Morgan Stanley and Santander acting as joint lead arrangers, and Morgan Stanley serving as the administrative agent. The two have also committed tax equity into the deal. Morgan Stanley Commodities is providing a long-term ERCOT power hedge and BayernLB is providing term debt financing for the project.

Construction work began in late 2013, and is expected to create hundreds of jobs in the state of Texas. M.A. Mortenson is acting as the prime contractor. With construction activity on Route 66 Wind starting in 2013, the project will qualify for the federal wind energy Production Tax Credit (PTC).

The start of 2014 marks the culmination of extensive planning and preparation for the energy storage industry’s national trade association, and today the association announced a new name, new leadership, and the launch of a new website.  The organization will now conduct business as the Energy Storage Association (ESA) and Matthew Roberts, a former House staff member and expert in energy policy, will lead the ESA as its new Executive Director.  The new website features more useful and current information to help association members, policymakers, and the media understand the value proposition of deploying energy storage technologies.

DONG Energy has signed an agreement to sell half of its 50 percent share in the 630 MW offshore wind farm London Array 1 to La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (La Caisse), for a total sum of GBP 644 million (approx. $1.06 billion).

With this partnership divestment DONG Energy delivers on the fifth and final point in its financial action plan presented in February 2013 securing the foundation for the future growth in DONG Energy.
At completion of the transaction, La Caisse will enter the existing joint venture with a 25 per cent ownership share alongside DONG Energy (25 per cent), E.ON (30 per cent) and Masdar (20 percent). DONG Energy will remain the service provider of O&M services to London Array.

DONG Energy and La Caisse have also agreed a long-term transfer agreement for the power production and green certificates arising from La Caisse’s share of London Array 1.

The transaction is subject to a number of customary conditions for a transaction of this nature, including transfer of project rights and operational performance of the wind park and approval by relevant authorities. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first half of 2014.

Vestas has secured a 15-year service contract covering 42 V90-2.0 MW turbines at the Topolog Dorobantu wind power plant in Tulcea County in Romania.

The last of the 42 turbines is expected to be installed within April this year. The order has been placed by LUKERG Renew, a joint venture between ERG Renew and LUKOIL. ERG Renew is Italy’s largest wind energy producer, with an installed capacity of 1,340 MW throughout Europe. LUKOIL is a major international vertically-integrated oil and gas company, accounting for 2.2 percent of global output of crude oil.

The agreement is based on Vestas’ Active Output Management (AOM) 5000, which offers an energy-based availability guarantee that ensures the turbines are operational when the wind is blowing. This service option includes the VestasOnline® surveillance system that remotely controls and monitors the turbines. This makes it possible to conduct preventative maintenance that minimises turbine downtime. Topolog Dorobantu wind power plant will be the first project in Romania benefiting from this new service platform.

The Topolog Dorobantu project is one of the largest projects in Romania and produces more than 200 GWh per year, which corresponds to an annual saving of almost 110,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

In January, an international delegation gathered at the 6th Annual O&M Forum in Hamburg to discuss key themes and trends across the O&M field.

The meeting was attended by major operators of wind farms including AKUO Energy, Axpo Power, DONG Energy, EDF, EDP Renewables, EnBW, E.ON, ESP, GDF Suez, juwi, Mainstream Renewable Power, RWE Inngogy, Scottish Power Renewables, Scottish & Southern Energy, Statkraft, and Vattenfall—all of whom weighed in on critical discussions regarding cost reduction and increasing asset lifetime amongst others.

Key themes that emerged from the meeting included the need for more effective data management; the attitude towards remote monitoring; consolidation and optimization of the industry; creating a local supply chain; and bridging the gap between operations and investors.

Among the first to present, representatives from Axpo Power discussed the importance of effective asset management. Advocating a proactive approach, the speaker said that the wind industry has a fragmented nature, and it is clear that wind farms need to pool together in order to insource capabilities and services to reduce costs. If there are fewer vendors per wind farm then there are less technologies to maintain, making spare parts easier to source and allocate and making data more consistent across one farm.

In a networking breakout session, Dong Energy representatives mentioned how the attitude towards remote monitoring in the U.S. has only just changed; previously it has been very cost adverse. Dong’s position is that that it requires discipline within an organization to implement an effective CMS strategy. Most companies are capable of developing good systems, but the key to success is how you implement it and use the system to maintain the asset with an effective strategy.

The need to involve investors was another re-occurring theme. Many participants mentioned that investors tend to outsource as a reflex, thinking that O&M is the OEM – typically because they are not aware of the options that are available and don’t know the value of sourcing. Therefore, the focus really needs to be on asset management, which is the language that investors speak. They need reassurance on how they will get a return on the expected lifetime of the asset. Naturally there is a long-term risk associated with investing in wind, as if the asset is not maintained correctly it will not perform at its optimal level of output.

The key themes and conclusions that ensued this industry meeting will be addressed in more depth at the Wind O&M Summit in Dallas on April 14-16. For more information, browse the “upcoming events” section at www.windenergyupdate.com.

When online, the new facility will monitor more than 7,500 turbines globally

Siemens Energy Service has broken ground on a highly-advanced remote diagnostics center for wind turbines, located at the company’s wind service headquarters in Brande, Denmark.

Upon completion, scheduled for autumn 2014, the 1,400 square-meter facility will be one of the most advanced wind turbine remote diagnostics service (RDS) centers in the world. It will host advanced diagnostic operations and monitoring services for more than 7,500 installed Siemens wind turbines worldwide to proactively keep the units operating at their optimum levels of performance.

“As a global leader in the operation and maintenance of wind power plants, it is important for us to continue to advance our services and innovations to meet our customers’ needs,” said Torben Bang, Head of Siemens Wind Power Service. “Our highly advanced, industry-leading RDS operations enable us to support those efforts by monitoring our global Siemens fleet 24/7/365 and flagging potential issues before they become serious. Remote diagnostics is a key component of a smarter and integrated service approach that helps our customers lower the overall cost of energy.

Remote diagnostics is an important part of Siemens’ portfolio of value-added services. Monitoring experts can solve more than 85 percent of all alarms remotely without a service team doing trouble-shooting onsite. Reduced downtime and lower number of turbine visits result in a higher energy output. With vibration diagnostics Siemens can find even the smallest indicator that something may not be operating normally and follow up by recommending proactive solutions before the issue becomes serious. Furthermore, we are able to analyze the data collected to draw trends on individual turbines as well as the overall fleet. The results contribute to enhanced current and future designs and improves existing turbine performance over the long term, thereby lowering the cost of energy.

After testing in 1998, Siemens installed the first condition monitoring system for wind turbines in 2000. Since then the company’s expert team in Brande has continuously developed the technology. In establishing the new remote diagnostics center, Siemens further advances its monitoring and diagnostic capabilities and bundles expert knowledge in one place. The new building will also include a dedicated customer area.

Availon recently announced that its portfolio of wind turbines-under-maintenance has reached the 2 GW milestone since its foundation in 2007.

Availon has experienced steady growth and currently employs a workforce of around 300 employees. In addition to focusing on its core market of Germany, the company is also steadily expanding its global strategic position in the U.S., Italy, Spain, and Poland.

 In 2013, Availon added 134 wind turbines to its portfolio in the U.S. and 105 in the Italian wind market. Much of the over 2 GW output is made of GE 1.5 and Vestas V80/V90 wind turbines as well as wind turbines from Gamesa.

 “Over the last six years, we have successfully built up a great deal of expertise regarding the system types we operate and want to consistently expand upon this to our customers’ benefit,” Availon joint Managing Director Ulrich Schomakers said. “We regard the fact that we provide full maintenance for almost 40 percent of the 2 GW portfolio as confirmation that we have chosen the right path.”

 Availon GmbH is the first independent wind turbine service provider which has been fully certified by Germanischer Lloyd for all processes required for service provision. Its proactive, all-inclusive service for wind turbines covers the entire operational value creation chain, ranging from remote monitoring, maintenance and spare part supply through to troubleshooting and turbine optimization.

The Hertz Corporation has announced that Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation has opened a new facility in Bismarck, North Dakota, to deliver specialty equipment rental solutions for oil producers, refineries, commercial construction, agriculture, wind farming and mining. 

The new Bismarck facility joins neighboring Hertz Equipment Rental branches in Dickinson and Williston, North Dakota and Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The company is also serving on site with companies in the area.

The Hertz Equipment Bismarck facility provides a wide range of industrial and commercial fleet for rent or sale including aerial, compaction and paving, earth moving, heaters, power generators, forklifts and other material handling equipment. In addition the location features a retail showroom and offers rentals and sales of small tools, equipment and safety supplies.

Hertz equipment is purchased from the industry’s leading manufacturers and is available for daily, weekly, monthly and long-term rentals. There are also rent-to-own and rental purchase option plans available for the new and used equipment for sale.

The Bismarck, ND branch employs highly trained staff fully dedicated to providing customers a premier rental experience. The branch is located at 2300 Vermont Ave, Bismarck, ND  58504. Its hours of operation are 7:00am – 5:00pm Monday – Friday. Local staff can be reached at telephone 701-224-3500.

Axion International Holdings, Inc., a leader in recycled plastic and plastic composite technologies announced that it has received a $150,000 purchase order for its 100 percent recycled Struxure heavy construction mats from Spartan Mat, LLC. The order consists of 7”x45”x16’ and 18’ & 20’ mats which will be distributed across the U.S. and Canada to midstream energy companies and civil contractors.

Axion’s mats were chosen because they are beneficial for temporary support surfaces under active heavy equipment with tracks/treads in wet conditions. Struxure mats have the ability to maintain structural integrity in wet conditions and are estimated to last five times longer than hardwood alternatives.

“The industry currently uses mixed hardwood mats, but the quality of these products is deteriorating and prices are rising with increasing activity across the construction industry,” said Axion’s EVP for building products Dave Crane. “Energy and civil construction projects are on the rise and we are at a trajectory of growth given the demand for more environmentally friendly solutions.”

Struxure heavy construction mats, which are produced from 100 percent recycled material, are engineered using a patented Recycled Structural Composite (RSC) formula making them extremely strong, durable and resistant to rot, fungus, insects, and moisture.

The wind power industry has more than doubled its capacity since 2007 and with it has been a doubling in the demand for crane scales. Sales of Ron Crane Scales by Eilon Engineering have grown proportionately.

In the wind power industry, Eilon Engineering dynamometers and crane scales are increasingly being used in the construction, testing, and maintenance of turbines. Uses encompass:

• Installation
• Dismantling and repair of units
• Weighing and balancing of blades before shipment
• Overload prevention on the motorized hoist
• Proof loads for the motorized hoist
• Measuring tension on tower guy wires
• Blade-bearing inspection

Eilon Engineering manufactures high-quality, durable, wireless or wired crane scales and dynamometers for all manner of heavy rigging tasks, including the installation and maintenance of wind farms.

With over three decades of experience, Eilon has worked with some of the world’s leading wind turbine manufacturers such as Vestas, Siemens and GE, and boasts a client list of top
companies and institutions such as the U.S. military, Boeing, NASA, and Lockheed Martin, as well as other Fortune 500 companies and smaller businesses.

Ron 2501
The wireless Ron 2501 dynamometer is particularly suited to the wind power industry. It is the smallest, lightest and most versatile wireless dynamometer on the market and critically ensures that the received and indicated value is 100% identical to the transmitted value. Its small size makes for easy portability and minimal headroom loss.

All Eilon Ron crane scales and dynamometers include:

• The exclusive use of high-grade aerospace steel for load cell bodies
• Shackle holes offset 90 degrees to reduce external movement
• Battery life of up to 2000 hours (4000 hour option)
• Short length for minimal headroom loss
• Light weight and portable
• Advanced wireless technology – multiple load cells can be read from a single laptop in real-time; long transmission range; and low energy consumption
• Fully tested and supplied with a test certificate, including a fully traceable calibration chart

The German company EEW Special Pipe Constructions GmbH and the Danish company Bladt
Industries A/S recently signed the contract to supply the foundations for the first offshore wind farm in the United States.

The two companies—both market leaders within their fields of business—have manufactured foundations for offshore wind farms all across Europe. Bladt Industries and EEW SPC have fabricated well over a thousand foundations each, among which 500 foundations were manufactured through collaborative efforts. Many have been for Siemens 3.6 MW turbines.

Upon completion, Cape Wind will have a installed capacity of 468 MW. The monopiles and transition pieces will be manufactured and shipped to Cape Wind’s staging port. Production will begin in January 2015. The monopiles will be produced at EEW’s facilities in Rostock, Germany and the transition pieces at Bladt Industries’ facilities in Aalborg, Denmark.

With wind power technology gaining popularity and institutional support globally, the wind turbine towers market is expected to increase from $12.1 billion in 2013 to $19.3 billion by 2020, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.9 percent, according to a report from research and consulting firm GlobalData.

According to the report, China had the largest amount of wind turbine towers installed in 2013, reaching a massive market share of 47.4 percent. This was followed by the U.S., India, and Canada, with respective shares of 7.5, 6.5, and 5.8 percent.

“The growth of the wind turbine towers market is directly related to that of the wind energy industry, which is heavily influenced by favorable government policy, rising environmental concerns, increasing demand for power, and the uncertain supply and prices of energy from conventional sources,” GlobalData alternative energy analyst Harshavardhan Reddy Nagatham said.

In fact, the global wind power cumulative capacity is expected to more than double over the forecast period, jumping from 322.5 GW in 2013 to 688 GW by 2020.

However, the lack of sufficient grid infrastructure around the world could impede further wind energy growth in the medium term.

“The existing grid infrastructure is very poor and urgent modifications need to be made in order to accommodate the specific characteristics of wind power,” Nagatham said. “Its upgrade also requires a substantial amount of investment in terms of financial resources and time.”

The shortage of skilled workforces in the global renewable energy industry is also a major barrier, which could potentially lead to project delays and poor-quality services across the wind sector, according to GlobalData.

Helukabel, one of the world’s leading cable manufacturers, has further expanded its global reach by adding local branches in three strategic markets. During 2013 Q3, new affiliates were launched in the United Kingdom and the Middle East, and in the beginning of 2013 Q4, Helukabel Indonesia became the 23rd affiliate to join the global network.

“The addition of local affiliates in the United Kingdom and Indonesia, and the Middle East region will allow our customers in the U.S. and Canada to have a seamless network for supplying cable orders that are bound for these international markets,” said Helukabel USA President Markus Dannheim and Alex Kanouni, vice president of sales and marketing of Helukabel Canada, jointly.

Helukabel UK, with central offices located in Liverpool, will be responsible for customers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from an approx. 5000 sq. ft. facility. With its central location and motorway network, Helukabel UK will offer fast service times to industrial manufacturing applications. With over 15 years experience, Helukabel UK cable specialists will be able to offer cable solutions to applications from the most demanding industries.

Helukabel Middle East will cover the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Pakistan from its UAE base of operations. In Indonesia, Helukabel will provide cable and wire solutions from its facility in the capital city of Jakarta. With 6,000 sq. ft. of warehousing space and additional support from Helukabel Singapore, the diverse manufacturers and customers in this resource-rich, highly-populated country (4th in the world) will benefit from JIT services and support.

The Whitmore Manufacturing Company recently announced today the acquisition of Fluid Defense Systems, LLC., a manufacturer of fully integrated lubricant storage and handling solutions for industry.

Since 2001, Fluid Defense has grown to become the recognized standard in lubricant handling and contamination control for industries ranging from food and beverage production to industrial manufacturing, power generation, and mining. The OilSafe® lubrication management system provides a customizable, intuitive fluid identification environment designed to improve lubricant cleanliness and avoid cross-contamination.

“We are very excited about this acquisition, which enables us to offer a far broader portfolio of best-in-class products to the fast growing reliability market. Fluid Defense has an outstanding reputation for producing intuitive systems that create immediate value for their customers. The synergy between the OilSafe® system and our Air Sentry® branded products is tremendous. We now offer a more compelling product line that provides us with a great platform to build on organically and through future acquisitions,” said Scott Dunbar, Vice President of Filtration and Protective Coatings at Whitmore.

The market for wind turbine rotor blades is projected to witness growth driven by increased government funding of renewable power projects, growing energy consumption especially among developing nations, escalating costs of fossil fuel based energy, rising concerns over greenhouse gas emissions, and the resulting need for sustainable alternate sources of energy. A large number of government-drafted support programs and funding schemes are expected to drive market penetration of wind power technology in the coming years.

In a new trend report titled “Wind Turbine Rotor Blades,” Global Industry Analysts Inc., provides cursory insights into rotor blades, including applications, future prospects, and corporate initiatives of key companies worldwide. The report also provides global and Asia-Pacific market estimates and projections for Wind Turbine Rotor Blades in US dollars for years 2012 through 2017. Also covered are companies such as Acciona SA, Blade Dynamics Ltd., DeWind Company, General Electric Company, LM Wind Power Group, Modular Wind Energy, Nordex SE, Siemens Energy Inc., Tecsis Wind, and Vestas Wind Systems A/S, among others.

For more details about this trend report, please visit www.strategyr.com/TrendReport.asp?code=146081.

Giving assembly engineers an alternative bonding technology for joining low surface energy thermoplastics such as polypropylene or polyethylene, global adhesives supplier SCIGRIP has developed its PPX5 acrylic-based adhesive that effectively bonds polyolefin substrates with little to no surface preparation or primers required.

“The PPX5 adhesive was specifically developed for high-performance bonding of these popular thermoplastic polyolefins,” explained Karen Brock Amoah, North American sales & marketing director. “PPX-5 delivers superior bonding properties without the use of solvents or volatile compounds, while requiring minimal surface preparation. In addition, it produces a bond with excellent resistance to water and humid environments, and cures at room temperature.”

While polypropylene and polyethylene plastics are used extensively because of their low cost and durability, they are difficult to bond because their surface properties repel most adhesives. The introduction of the PPX5 acrylic adhesive provides an alternative bonding technology to mechanical assembly or solvent welding.

PPX5 structural adhesive is a two-part acrylic-based plastic bonder designed for application at a 10:1 adhesive/activator mix ratio by volume, with working time of between two to four minutes, and fixture time of about 90 minutes. The off-white mixed adhesive is resistant to most industrial solvents.

The PPX5 can be used to bond dissimilar plastic substrates (polypropylene, polyethylene, polycarbonate, and PMMA); metals (carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminum); or fiber-reinforced plastics with a minimum of surface preparation to reduce labor costs and production cycle times.
Adhesion properties of the PPX5 adhesive includes a shear strength of 500 – 870 psi (for thermoplastics); and 500 – 940 psi (for polyethylene to metals), measured at 75°F/24°C.
The PPX5 adhesive is available in convenient dual-component 50 ml cartridges.

For more information, visit www.scigrip.com.

Favorable wind conditions at new WTAMU facility allowed testing and data collection to be completed in only 29 days, instead of normal 8 to 18 months

One month following the opening of an advanced wind turbine test facility at West Texas A&M University, UL announced they have completed the Power Performance testing and data collection on a small wind turbine in 29 days. Depending on wind conditions, this testing typically takes from 8 to 18 months to fill all of the required wind parameters.

The Power Performance testing is one portion of the AWEA 9.1 certification. For the Power Performance portion of AWEA 9.1, the turbine must be tested at a variety of wind speeds. The wide range of annual average wind speeds at the UL wind test laboratory allowed the data to be collected in 29 days. To achieve AWEA 9.1 certification other tests must be completed, but the Power Performance portion typically takes the longest due to the number of different wind speeds which are required to meet the standard.

“Being able to complete the Power Performance portion of the AWEA 9.1 certification process, means the certification process will be finished much quicker,” said Adam Holman, laboratory director at the  UL/WTAMU wind turbine test laboratory. “Because our wind turbine test laboratory is in the Great Plains Wind Corridor, we were able to reduce the certification testing time and the manufacture will be able to go-to-market sooner.”

“UL, the DEWI Group and West Texas A&M University collaborated to establish this outdoor wind test laboratory to provide services for large and small wind turbine manufacturers,” said Jason Hopkins, business development manager for wind at UL. “This site is great for installing wind turbines for extended periods for research, performance measurements and certification purposes.”

The wind turbine test facility is located at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas–with over 400 acres available. Turbine manufacturers can use this site to test, measure and certify their turbines or prototypes. The service portfolio includes different measurements (power curve, mechanical loads, acoustic noise/vibration and electrical characteristics for grid connection, certification of wind turbines/components, as well as customized test programs, data collection and testing consultation.