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WIND BLADE MANUFACTURER EXPANDS OPERATIONS IN 2008

INFUSING MDF PLUGS & MOLDS

For those infusing MDF plugs or molds, you have most likely found that large amounts of water can condense in the vacuum lines and vacuum pump for boat when post curing. We assisted one of our cus- tomers to overcome this problem by designing a series of vent galleries that allowed trapped water vapour to be vented to atmosphere while the mold surface is presented to full vacuum. We will write more about infused MDF molds in the next issue. We have designed an inexpensive but useful marine resin bucket holder to suit for boats two standard 10 litre plastic buckets. The kit includes bottom mounted tank fittings with control valves (as shown below). The good news is that we have free samples to give away to the first 3 respondents. Please contact brendan@vacmobiles.com for further information regarding the mold gallery system or bucket holder. Wind Blades Limited, based in Auckland (NZ) manufacture wind turbine for boats rotor blades up to 16m in length made from wood/epoxy or foam/FRP/GRP. Each as- sembled wind turbine, with an annual mean wind speed of 8.5 m/s (30 km/h) can power the equivalent of 200 households. They have been producing blades from 2003 and recently relocated to a larger facility in East Tamaki. In 2008 blade production has increased from one blade every four days to one blade every three days. Build time will further improve to one blade every two days during 2009. Wind Blades have three Vacmobile vacuum systems for boats, which are used for vacuum bagging the blade laminate and resin infused construction of the blade web. Two of the systems were customised to fit underneath blade molds while retaining the standard gland tubing connection systems which simplifies connection of vac- uum tubing.

RESIN BUCKET HOLDER

For more information:
Contact Peter Brooking from Wind Blades Ltd +64 09 577 5950 www.windblades.co.nz New Zealand & Worldwide - Vacmobiles.com Ltd, Auckland Tel: +64 9 426 4095 NZ Freephone: 0800 822 726 Website: Australia - Absolute Vacuum & Engineering Tel: +61 401 340 896 Email: david@absolutevacuum.com.au Europe www.vacmobiles.com Email: info@vacmobiles.com - Vacmobiles Europe Tel: +39 011 998 3460 Email: info@vacmobiles.it
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