Company of the Day - SINOI - Technology that works!

Profile

In 1999, a production unit for rotor blades emerged in Nordhausen. On a site covering more than 60,000 sq. m, it now has industrial sheds with floor space of around 8,000 sq. m, plus a training centre for fibre-reinforced composite technology at its disposal. The production plant boasts the very latest, state-of-the-art coating and finishing systems and SPS-controlled cutting and drilling devices. In early 2007, SINOI GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Chinese Lianyungang Zhongfu LianZhong Composites Group Co., Ltd., acquired all of its assets. All of the management team and the company’s institutional know-how have been retained in the employment of SINOI.

Know-how

SINOI is well equipped with all the latest production processes – in-house prepreg technology, vacuum infusion or reaction-injection moulding (RIM), RIM-carbon and prepreg technology – and successfully employs all these methods in series production. These production processes are combined and constantly refined to achieve the best possible results. On the basis of serial production experience with these manufacturing methods, new processes are constantly being devised and employed.

Due to consistent use of high quality epoxy resins as well as highly qualified staff with long-time experience and extensive quality controls, the rotor blades offer the very high and accepted quality standard “Made in Germany”. Further benefits include: virtually shrink-free curing, extremely high holding properties, minimal weight plus high durability and constant resonant frequency.

Special quality assurance features of SINOI blade production include its materials management system, non-stop inward goods inspection, reset control checks of each rotor blade, plus predetermined stopping points in the production line.

Thanks to its comprehensive quality assurance measures, SINOI laid the right foundations for GL certification as an industrial producer of fibre-reinforced plastics. This means that all rotor blades produced by SINOI come with certification from Germanischer Lloyd.

Rotor blades

The rotor blade is particularly significant, as it is the “motor” that generates the energy output and thus determines the commercial profitability of wind power farms. The aerodynamic shape, high specifications and robustness of this, the most crucial component of any wind farm, requires special materials and production processes.

The key requirements of a rotor blade are:

• Durability and consistently high production quality
• Minimal weight and high material rigidity
• Precision layout for economical production

Striving to become the quality leader in this field, the engineers at SINOI continually fine-tune their rotor blades, and have brought countless product innovations through to serial production.

Mould construction

SINOI makes all its own original models and moulds, in order to apply its expertise in the serial production of rotor blades to the design of the moulds. This process of constant improvement ensures an ongoing increase in the quality and economy of the finished product.

The rotor blade moulds of SINOI enable effective rotor blade production. The high number of demouldings minimise the investment costs, and the high quality of the moulds streamlines the production process.

SINOI rotor blade moulds can be produced in a number of ways:

• Water or computer-controlled electrical heating
• A hydraulic or jib-supported mould turning mechanism
• Mould shells constructed by a RIM process
• FEM calculated mould bases

The use of RIM technology to make the moulds ensures long-term security of investment in the required tools.

Composite products

SINIO's core competence lies in the serial production of composite components.This results in individual components or in complex systems of fiber-reinforced composites. SINIO manufactures with fiberglass and / or carbon fiber materials in combination with polyester- or epoxy resin systems. It also has experience in the production of semi-finished products and cuttings.

SINOI's 8,000 square meters heated production shops, with up to 90 m in length, allow the production of very large components. Its infrastructure provides all necessary equipment. For example: crane systems, resin mixing machines, extraction systems, filter technique for fine and large dust, compress air- and vacuum technique as well as a laser projection system for exact positioning of materials and components.

A company brochure can be downloaded here: Rotorblades in a New Dimension

As SINOI has established its presence as a reliable and independent manufacturer of first-class rotor blades on the basis of recognized quality standards it deserves nomination as the w3.windfair.net Company of the Day!

If you would like to know more about what w3.windfair.net can offer, please do not hesitate to contact Trevor Sievert at ts@windfair.net

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