Over the last few years Carbon Fibre Tubes (CFT) are proud to have built a strong customer relationship with Forth Engineering. Forth specialise in helping industry partners deliver innovative and ground-breaking solutions to complex problems; in this case we supported them to deliver a range of complex assemblies supporting a highly-technical project called RADBLAD.
This technically complex and innovative work was even more exciting given it directly supports advancements in sustainable technologies, using advanced materials and innovative techniques to improve efficiency and effectiveness of wind-turbine and blades maintenance, especially as the UK increases the installed wind power infrastructure.
WHAT IS RADBLAD?
With the help of Innovate UK, Forth have developed RADBLAD, a pioneering lightweight portable robot for the Renewable Energy sector. This new technology will make surveys of wind power infrastructure safer, faster and cheaper, removing the need for manual inspection and reducing risk.
RADBLAD’s key differentiator which sets it apart from other systems is the use of radiographic based in-situ inspection, the automatic detection of defects using an artificial intelligent (AI) based software, and the use of a modular approach for the robotic system. The advantages of this system are early detection of blade (internal) defects, in a quicker, safer and systematic way.
WHERE DO CARBON FIBRE TUBES COME IN?
CFT were engaged by Forth to create Space Frame Assemblies to be used as part of the bespoke robotic inspection apparatus. Key to the design is the light-weight nature of the apparatus; each section of the system must be as light as possible so as to reduce the burden on the system, but also strong and resilient to withstand environmental conditions. Composites are ideally suited to this application owing to their strength-weight ratio, thermo-stability and near-zero thermal expansion. The material is also highly resistant to corrosion and changes in environmental conditions, which was essential in this case.
This project has been a highlight for us at CFT and has aptly demonstrated our expertise in delivering a turnkey solution and a very complete manufacturing capability – showcasing CFT’s industry leading capabilities in carbon fibre sheet and tube manufacture, machining, assembly and, crucially, composite bonding.
The project demanded high precision design and manufacture of non-tubular components and included extensive use of plates, right angles, and u-channel composite parts. The complex joints were designed by our experienced technical team and all components were manufactured in-house in our heated platen press. But it was the composite assembly and bonding preparation experience that CFT leveraged to best effect on the RADBLAD work – assessing, testing, preparing surfaces and joints before using structural epoxy adhesives and composite specific fasteners to ensure the Space Frames were optimised for structural integrity whilst remaining light-weight.
By partnering closely with the Forth programme team throughout, CFT technicians were able to provide valuable input to the design and review process, leveraging our depth of specialist composite experience to create the spectacular Space Frame assemblies. In fact, this project was an exemplar in engineering team collaboration between CFT and Forth.
And the result…a highly engineered and optimised assembly supporting the deployment of RADBLAD, the world’s first wall-climbing robot deployed onto wind turbines to conduct remote X-ray maintenance survey.