In spite of an expanding wind power industry, the North American market has steadily relied on imported wind generators. That is about to change. WindGen America, LLC, is in the process of building the first wind turbine generator manufacturing facility in the Untied States. The company’s principals have extensive wind power experience and will be using it to develop and manufacture wind turbine generators for the North American market.

The generators under development at WindGen America will be 660 KW and 2.5 MW permanent magnet design. With prototypes up and running, these designs address the weaknesses in conventional wind generators. The past and current wind generators have been fraught with high maintenance costs. Designed and built for wind power applications, these generators will offer the industry a choice. Not just American-built, but built to exceed the demands placed on conventional wind turbine generators.

A convergence of wind power growth and incentives to provide U.S. manufacturing jobs have created the right climate for this enterprise. In addition to developing superior generator designs, WindGen America has focused its attention on a facility whose efficiency will match its turbines. Locating in an eastern industrial hub, WindGen America will be able to take advantage of existing road, rail, and ocean port facilities. Starting from scratch, all aspects of the operation will utilize the latest technology maintaining high quality while keeping manufacturing costs in line. Simplifying logistics, the company will be able to supply the nation with the latest in turbine generator design at a very competitive price. The 100,000 sq. ft. facility will have a labor force comprised of 120 skilled technicians onsite. The initial production target is 1,500 generators per year. For more information go to www.windgenamerica.com.

SeaRoc—the marine, engineering, and offshore experts—are joining Natural Power to form the first renewable energy consultancy truly capable of providing end-to-end services globally for the industry both onshore and offshore. The announcement follows almost 18 months successful operation under a framework agreement and an existing minority stake acquired earlier this year. Natural Power has already consented over 1,300 MW of client projects offshore. SeaRoc, which sits on two BWEA steering committee groups, provide marine, engineering, health and safety, and environmental services to some of the UK’s biggest renewable energy projects. Sister company SeaPlanner provides world class GIS expertise and extensive data management knowledge to the offshore market.

Natural Power and SeaRoc will form a group of over 220 highly skilled resource engineers, development specialists, construction engineers, marine managers, GIS experts, and asset managers based across 11 offices worldwide. The Natural Power group will be a world-class wind, wave, and tidal service provider in the areas of due diligence, engineering, development, construction, operations, and health and safety both onshore and offshore. The group creates a single source for complete lifecycle services for the industry.

Stuart Hall, director and founder of Natural Power, says that “Having provided lifecycle services onshore for the past 15 years, and consented over a gigawatt of client projects offshore, it is a natural step forward to complete the loop by welcoming SeaRoc to the family. They are the experts offshore. The announcement reflects the needs of our clients for a single provider of both onshore and offshore services, which we are delighted to now offer.”

Peter Hodgetts, CEO and founder of SeaRoc, adds that “We are looking forward to joining the Natural Power family. There are many existing synergies between us and we wholeheartedly share the concept of ‘practical consulting’ for the benefit of our clients. The industry is changing and it is vital that companies evolve in order to meet the needs of developers, owners, insurers, investors, regulators and financial institutions.”

To learn more contact Alex Woodward at alexw@naturalpower.com. Go online to www.naturalpower.com.

Technical consultancy Romax Technology is providing vital knowledge and services to Taiwan’s growing wind energy industry. Through a series of wind energy seminars and partnerships with leading wind energy organizations in Taiwan, Romax is helping leading players in the wind energy industry to realise Taiwan’s wind energy potential.

Taiwan has recently identified a need in the reduction of carbon and in the country’s reliance on imported fossil fuels for its energy production. The Bureau of Energy under the Ministry of Economic Affairs has set a target of renewable energy contributing to 10 percent of Taiwan’s overall electricity generation by 2010, and wind power is expected to make up to 80 percent of that renewable energy contribution. It is anticipated that, due to this commitment and the country’s wind resources and manufacturing capabilities, Taiwan’s wind power generation will grow to 3000MW by 2020 and create a strong wind energy industry.

However, supplying this quantity of wind turbines from a relatively young domestic manufacturing position requires a rapid development in expertise and capabilities. The Taiwan Wind Energy Association (TwnWEA) has identified this need and in service to its members invited Romax to present a specialist wind energy seminar.

Covering a range of current technical issues including design theory and practice, bearing selection, lubrication considerations, and gearbox testing and certification, Romax provided the audience with their experience and expertise in the design and manufacture of wind turbine drivetrains. Romax is in an ideal position to be discussing these issues, having helped some of the worlds leading wind energy companies to overcome their technical challenges.

In addition, Romax has announced a new partnership with the leading Taiwanese technical research group ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute).  Romax will develop a wind turbine gearbox testing platform utilizing their testing team and in-house simulation platform, RomaxWIND. To learn more go to www.romaxtech.com.

Siemens has confirmed its objective to become one of the world’s top providers of wind turbines. Siemens entered the wind power market five years ago with its acquisition of Denmark’s Bonus Energy. Since then wind power operations at Siemens have undergone rapid development. The workforce has grown sevenfold, while revenue has actually increased tenfold. “This is a success story whose narrative we wish to continue,” says Andreas Nauen, CEO of the Wind Power Business Unit. “The overall global wind power market is growing at 12 percent annually. We intend to significantly outpace the market growth to become one of the top three providers by 2012.”

Siemens’ strategy will be to strengthen its position as a global market leader in offshore wind farms while expanding its international production network in key markets and ensuring technology leadership, for example gearless and floating wind turbines, with innovative products. “Wind power has excellent perspectives,” he continues. “The global wind power market will grow from about EUR30 billion annually today to more than EUR200 billion by 2030. We anticipate especially robust growth in the Asia-Pacific region. The market growth in North America and Europe, however, will also be significant.”

Offshore wind farms are playing an increasingly important role. The potential for offshore wind power in Europe is estimated at around 70 gigawatts, about half of the power plant capacity currently installed in Germany. At present only 1.5 percent of that is being utilized. In the past fiscal year Siemens secured the largest offshore wind power contract ever granted: to provide Dong Energy with 500 turbines of the 3.6-megawatt class. Some of these turbines will be used in the London Array, which will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm when it is complete. To date, Siemens has realized 10 offshore wind farms with a capacity of 850 megawatts. Contracts from Germany include the offshore wind farm Baltic 1. Siemens is also successful in the onshore wind power market. In the past fiscal year, for example, Siemens secured contracts for six wind farms in North America and for Europe’s largest onshore wind farm in Scotland. Recent orders have come from Mexico and New Zealand.

Siemens Wind Power has pursued a consistent strategy of further expanding its international production network in key markets. After establishing a rotor blade production plant in Fort Madison, Iowa, Siemens recently began construction on a new nacelle production facility in Hutchinson, Kansas. And in 2010 a plant outside of Shanghai will commence production of rotor blades and nacelles. Production is also planned in India.

Siemens relies on innovative products to ensure its future success. In early December 2009 Siemens completed the prototype of its newly developed gearless wind turbine, which promises even higher availability than standard wind turbines with about half the number of parts. Siemens is also working with StatoilHydro to promote the innovative Hywind project. Hywind is a floating wind turbine that can be positioned in waters from 120 to 700 meters in depth. This opens up new opportunities for offshore wind power.

Siemens Wind Power currently has a record order backlog of EUR6 billion. Over 8,000 wind turbines are in operation worldwide with a capacity of more than 9,600 megawatts. Together they make an important contribution to protecting our climate by saving over 20 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually. The Business Unit Wind Power is part of the Renewable Energy Division of Siemens, which also includes photovoltaics and solar thermal power plants. Learn more at www.siemens.com/energy.

REpower Systems AG has signed a framework contract with EDF Energies Nouvelles and RES Canada that comprises the delivery of up to 954 megawatts for five projects in the Canadian province of Québec, currently developed by the consortium Saint-Laurent Énergies, a Montreal based wind energy company jointly owned by EEN Canada, Inc., RES Canada, Inc., and Hydroméga Services, Inc. The contract guarantees a minimum purchase capacity of 748 MW.

In May 2008, Saint-Laurent Énergies with REpower as turbine supplier was awarded the contract tendered by Hydro-Québec Distribution for five wind farm projects across Québec, comprising of up to 477 REpower MM82/92 wind turbines to be installed between 2011 and 2015. REpower is also responsible for commissioning the turbines.

At least 60 percent of the total investment will be made in Québec, 30 percent will be for the local manufacturing of components such as rotor blades, towers, and electrical converters. Therefore, REpower has concluded contracts with local component suppliers in the Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine region and the Matane regional county municipality. REpower CEO Per Hornung Pedersen says “We are delighted that we can today announce the largest onshore contract in our company’s history. The contract confirms our strategic partnership with our customers EDF, EN, and RES. This is a giant leap forward for REpower toward our establishment in Canada, and bolsters our intention of further growth in the whole of North America—Canada and the United States.”

Repower’s Chief Supply Chain Officer Lars Rytter Kristensen adds that “The signing of this contract shows the trust that our customers and Hydro-Québec place in the reliable technology of our turbines. Thanks to the settlement of local suppliers in the region, we can rapidly expand our supply chain and thus our competence on the North American wind energy market.”

REpower Systems AG is one of the leading manufacturers of onshore and offshore wind turbines. This internationally operating mechanical engineering company develops, manufactures, and markets wind turbines with rated outputs ranging from 2 to 6.15 megawatts and rotor diameters ranging from 82 to 126 meters for virtually every location. The company also offers a comprehensive portfolio of service and maintenance packages. The profitable and reliable turbines are designed in the REpower development center in Rendsburg and manufactured in the plants in Husum (Northern Friesland), Trampe (Brandenburg) and Bremerhaven. With over 1,900 employees worldwide, the company listed since March 2002 and headquartered in Hamburg can make use of the experiences acquired from the manufacture and installation of more than 2,000 wind turbines around the world. REpower is represented by distribution partners, subsidiaries, and participations in European markets such as France, Belgium, Great Britain, Italy, Portugal, and Spain as well as on a global level in the United States, Japan, China, Australia, and Canada. For more information go to www.repower.de. 

Vestas Spare Parts & Repair currently operates offices worldwide to service the world’s largest installed fleet of wind turbines. Since January 2009, Vestas has had a dedicated organization for servicing its customers. A brand-new office center next to the Vestas Headquarters in Randers, Denmark, has been constructed. Furthermore, locations for the leadership team are also being set up in Bristol, UK, together with sections of engineering, customer service, and platform management. In Q4 2009 a gearbox service center was scheduled to open in Spain, and in Q1 2010, a second one is planned to follow in Colorado.

“We are making these radical changes and large investments so that we can further improve the customer experience,” says Phil Jones, president of Vestas Spare Parts & Repair. “These developments mark the continued focus on bringing service to world-class standards.”

The entire warehouse and distribution network will service the seven Vestas sales business units, and the objectives are to be consolidated into one global, world-class network in 2010. Today, Vestas Spare Parts & Repair has a staff of 230, with the vast majority located in Randers, Denmark. By the end of 2010 an additional 150 people will have joined. To learn more go to www.vestas.com.

Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas, Inc., (MPSA), has announced its intention to build a wind turbine manufacturing facility in Fort Smith, Arkansas. MPSA plans to invest approximately $100 million in the project, which could employ as many as 400 people.

“We are very excited to announce the future MPSA Wind Turbine manufacturing site in Fort Smith, Arkansas,” says Koji Hasegawa, president and CEO of MPSA, based in Lake Mary, Florida. “After an intensive site selection process conducted during the last 15 months we concluded that Fort Smith offers the most attractive site and community support for building and operating our wind turbine plant. We are very thankful for the excellent support provided to us by Governor Mike Beebe, Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, Congressman John Boozman, Maria Haley and her economic development staff, and the entire Arkansas delegation. Additionally, we are also very impressed with Arkansas’s commitment to the renewable energy industry. With the establishment of this wind turbine manufacturing plant, we are also planning to expand our component sourcing in the U.S. so as to shorten our supply chain.”

MPSA intends to locate its wind turbine manufacturing plant in a new 200,000 sq. ft. facility at Fort Chaffee, near Fort Smith, occupying 90 acres. “The arrival of Mitsubishi in Arkansas is exciting news for our economy and for our renewable-energy manufacturing sector,” Governor Mike Beebe says. “Mitsubishi is a brand recognized and respected worldwide, and the substantial investment they will make in Fort Smith is evidence of Arkansas’s momentum in the global economy.”

The company plans on beginning construction by early 2011. “Arkansas and Mitsubishi are a winning combination for renewable energy and economic development,” U.S. Senator Mark Pryor says. “I know that Mitsubishi will benefit from the area’s strong community support, work ethic and ingenuity. This partnership will bring America one step closer to realizing the full potential of wind energy.”

MPSA currently has more than 4,500 wind turbines in operation worldwide, and over 3,000 wind turbines in the U.S. “Fort Chaffee has a tremendous amount of potential and I am pleased that Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas, Inc. has recognized what Fort Smith and the region has to offer,” says U.S. Representative John Boozman. “We are fortunate to have had cooperation at all levels of government and within the community to make Fort Smith standout and MPSA select it for this investment. We welcome MPSA to the Third District, and I look forward to working with the company in the future.”

MPSA was established in 2001 with key operations in Orlando, Florida, Newport Beach, California, Houston, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico. MPSA provides a wide variety of products and services for the electric power generation industry including gas, steam, wind, geothermal and hydroelectric turbines, boilers, selective catalytic reduction systems, and solar energy. The company is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), a diversified Fortune “Global 150” company with more than $30 billion in annual revenues and 40,000 employees worldwide. MHI is an international leader in the design and supply of energy, aerospace, machinery, transportation, and environmental systems and equipment. For more information contact Jonathan Wang at (949) 856-8473 or jwang@mpshq.com. Go online to www.mpshq.com.

The alternative energy industry continues to focus on wind power as a viable addition to address the ever-expanding global energy demand. With this in mind, Lincoln Electric has recently hosted more than 120 industry professionals interested in learning more about wind tower fabrication for several daylong seminars.

Seminar attendees traveled from across the United States and as far away as Brazil and Portugal to Lincoln’s Cleveland, Ohio, headquarters to learn more about wind tower fabrication. Each seminar featured an industry overview, technology sessions, and live welding demonstrations for companies already fabricating wind towers and those currently considering it.

“Governments in every corner of the globe, including the United States, continue to focus on alternative energy, especially wind,” says Patrick Wahlen, global segment business director, power generation. “Many of our customers want to add wind tower fabrication to their portfolio, and this seminar shares insight into the industry, guidance on capitalizing on this market and an overview of Lincoln’s product portfolio.”

Whalen added that the company has long offered a comprehensive welding solution for wind tower fabrication. “In 2008, there were 38 new wind tower manufacturing facilities constructed globally, and 33 of those facilities used Lincoln products,” he says.

Due to its Waveform Control Technology®, Lincoln Electric’s Power Wave® AC/DC 1000® SD is the leading power source for wind tower fabrication. When combined with Lincoln’s process knowledge, it can increase productivity by 30 percent or more. Lincoln also has a complete offering of consumables designed specifically for wind tower welding applications, including tacking, longitudinal can seam, circumferential can seam, circumferential ring and flange, base flange, entry hatch, and rotor shaft.

Steve Knapple, welding engineer for tower fabricator Katana-Summit, attended the May Lincoln seminar and says that “Lincoln did its homework when it got into this industry. They shared insight into areas of opportunity and demonstrated different levels of solutions, which was very helpful as the attendees represented established wind tower manufacturers as well as startups. I also had the opportunity to meet others who do what we do and share best practices. It was a valuable experience.”
For more information e-mail windtower@lincolnelectric.com or visit www.lincolnelectric.com.

In wind power plants, electrical circuit problems are known to cause short-term torque peaks. In this event, slip clutches protect the costly gearbox against overload by slipping at a defined maximum torque in order to temporarily interrupt the drive. The slip process takes place not on the generator shaft surface, but inside the CENTA Torque Hub, which is mounted on the generator shaft in the coupling’s clamping set.

CENTA’s latest development in slip systems, “CENTA Torque Set,” now positions the slip unit to the middle section of the shaft. By relocating the slip function, manufacturing tolerances at the generator shaft no longer cause variations in the slip torque, resulting in improved accuracy of the slip function. Another advantage of the new design is that the slip system is made to be pre-mounted as a complete unit. The maximum torque is set on a certified test bench according to the manufacturer’s requirements and documented in a test report, eliminating the need for on-site adjustments.

The low-maintenance slip system is also designed to allow for multiple slip processes (> 200) without having a major impact on the slip torque setting.

Depending on the size, a torque range of up to 120 kNm is covered. The new slip system can also be provided as a low-cost system component which does not include the coupling unit.

CENTA Corporation’s newly expanded Chicago facility includes a large in-house machine shop for domestic production of your wind turbine couplings from a trusted source. For more information contact Bob Lennon at (630) 236-3500 or bobl@centacorp.com. Also visit www.centa.info.

Carbone of America, a leader in power and signal transfer solutions, has redesigned the phase and ground brush holders for Hitachi generators installed in the GE fleet of 1.5 MW wind turbines. The new brush rigging assembly is a totally reengineered system, designed to reduce wear, maintenance and downtime in the long term. The brush holders are plug-and-play, so that uptower installation is fast, simple, and requires no modifications to the generator. The mass produced holders, die-cast from bronze alloy, are sturdy and built to withstand rigorous field use and turbine maintenance without sustaining damage. The radial-mounted brush holders were engineered to eradicate the previous reaction and trailing configuration and improve load sharing and equal wear rates between brushes. The brush dimensions were changed to provide equal surface area for the same energy transmission. The ratios of brush coverage to slip-ring diameter, width, and helical groove, have been optimized for peak performance.

The constant-force style brush pressure systems—200g/cm2 applied to the well-known carbon brush grade CG626—provide extremely low wear rates and minimal ring wear over long-term operation. They exert consistent force to keep all brushes in constant contact with the high-speed rotating slip rings for the best possible distribution of current between the four-phase (power) brushes. Upgraded brush terminals carry continuous high loadings; bolted connections ensure continuous, even current distribution between brushes in a phase group. Carbone of America’s brush rigging also incorporates a reliable indication system to alert when brushes become worn. The micro switch system, already widely used in the field, has proven to be dependable. For more information contact Roy Douglas, technical manager, at (973) 299-4518 or roy.douglas@carbonelorraine.com. Visit online at www.carbonebrush.com.

New Schmidt 5D couplings from Zero-Max are the ideal choice for applications requiring large axial, angular, and parallel shaft misalignments. This “all in one” coupling design will handle all shaft displacements, providing low backlash for precision high torque applications such as roll forming and similar heavy duty fabricating equipment.

Designed to fill an important need in the Zero-Max family of torque-rigid couplings, 5D couplings allow for easy adjustment to any possible misaligned shaft position without imposing heavy side loads on shafts, bearings, or other machine equipment. The coupling can accommodate up to 5 degrees of angular misalignment and as high as 1.5” parallel misalignment while maintaining undisturbed power transmission at constant angular velocity. Acting forces within the coupling can be precisely calculated, assuring reliable, trouble-free system operation; especially important in heavy-duty applications. This unique design will tolerate high shock and reversing loads with minimal or no maintenance required.

Additional features include space-saving design and easy installation—couplings can be mounted to shaft hubs or directly to existing machine flanges (no need to reposition either shaft being coupled)—and they are available in standard and inverted hub configurations in bore sizes from 1.500 inch to 6.375 inches or 38mm to 160mm. Custom designs can take this coupling design beyond the catalog specifications. The 10 different model sizes handle speeds up to 1000 RPM and torque from 2800 to 500,000 in-lbs. Special design modifications are available.

“The 5D coupling has very robust design features for use in applications such as roll drive systems used in converting machinery,” says Robert Mainz, sales manager. “The unique and highly flexible design allows for a wide range of movement to improve the quality of the end product. They do a very good job of handling shaft misalignments and protecting drive train components in these high performance systems.”

To learn more call (800) 533-1731, e-mail zero-max@zero-max.com, or go online to

www.zero-max.com.

Gleason has introduced a new line of Titan® grinding machines designed to reduce finish grinding times by as much as 50 percent on cylindrical gears up to 1,500 mm in diameter. Titan machines are unique in their ability to offer users, on a single platform, both pure profile grinding for the greatest flexibility when producing single parts, and threaded wheel grinding and profile grinding working together for much faster fully-automated large-scale production. This new process, called Power Grind, enables users to reduce grinding production times by as much as 50 percent, by first using threaded wheel grinding to “rough” gears much faster and then profile grinding to achieve optimal gear quality, surface finish and complex gear modifications in the finishing operation.

The Power Grind process can optionally include an external setup table to allow the workpiece and workholding package to be set up in parallel with primary production, rather than sequentially. Workpieces then can be loaded automatically through use of an optional workpiece changer. These features, plus an innovative new high-speed tool changer that automates the exchange of threaded wheel for profile grinding wheel, greatly reduce non-productive time.

Titan 1200G and 1500G machines—for workpiece diameters of 1200 mm and 1500 mm respectively—are also equipped with a patent pending universal dresser. This enables the user to dress both threaded grinding wheels and profile grinding wheels right on the machine using a single dressing tool, thus eliminating the changeover time and expense of multiple dressing tools. These machines also greatly reduce the time required for the production of individual parts through pure profile grinding. A unique, patented dual-flank twist-free grinding option is available that can create highly desirable asymmetrical tooth trace modifications in half the time normally required when conventional single flank grinding is used. The machines come equipped with the latest Siemens 840D CNC and Gleason Windows-based Intelligent Dialogue software to greatly simplify setup and operation. For example, a grinding technology database recommends and optimizes the production methodology for the Power Grind process before machining starts, enabling even less experienced operators to produce high quality parts more productively. 

Titan machines are just the latest in a complete line of Gleason gear grinding machines that include profile grinders for workpiece diameters up to 6 meters. For more information visit www.gleason.com.

For the third consecutive year, Second Wind has made the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the United States. “Second Wind is dedicated to making wind energy profitable through the use of innovative technology,” COO Larry Letteney says. “Our third year on this prestigious list speaks to the hard work of our dedicated employees and the continued growth of the renewable energy sector.”

Letteney credited the growing acceptance of Second Wind’s newest product, the Triton sonic wind profiler, as adding significantly to the company’s overall growth. The Triton is designed to give wind farm developers more accurate information about siting wind farms and turbines, thus streamlining wind farm development and increasing financial certainty. The Triton assesses wind speed and direction by sending sound pulses into the sky and measuring the returning echoes. Triton sales are increasing each quarter, with over 80 units currently operating in the field including sites in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia.

“With this accomplishment, Second Wind, Inc., joins the rarified company of enterprises that have appeared on the list multiple times,” says Inc. 5000 Editor Jane Berentson. “Since debuting in 1991, the list has served as evidence of the significant accomplishments of entrepreneurial companies.”

Founded in 1980, Second Wind advances the use of wind data to make wind energy more profitable for owners, painless for operators, and practical for consumers. More information is available at www.secondwind.com.

Featuring more helpful tips and installation advice than before, Dr. Shrink’s new Web site is a single source for all necessary shrink-wrap knowledge, allowing visitors to browse the company’s complete line of shrink wrap and accessories.

Serving seasoned business owners to novice do-it-yourselfers, a convenient “How-To/Training” tab offers free, step-by-step directions on how to shrink wrap a wide variety of objects. A helpful chart enables users to find the right size shrink wrap for their asset. Visitors can sign up for the company’s e-newsletter to learn more details about upcoming shows, new products, tips, and other special offers. The site offers a full-color photo gallery, providing ideas on all the different types of objects that can be shrink wrapped.

Based in Manistee, Michigan, Dr. Shrink is an international premium shrink-wrap supplier. With a reputation for great customer service, the company provides prompt service, competitive pricing, and experienced application advice. Call (800) 968-5147, e-mail drshrink@dr-shrink.com, or go to www.dr-shrink.com.

RBC Bearings is pleased to announce that it has received a letter of conformance from Germanischer Lloyd (GL) for pitch and yaw bearings for the ACCIONA Windpower wind turbine generator. ACCIONA Windpower North America is owned by the ACCIONA group, a Spain-based global leader in the renewable energies field. The company has installed 252 wind farms in 14 countries and manufactures wind turbine generators with proprietary technology.

The GL type certification was issued to RBC Bearings in April, 2009, for RBC slewing ring bearings being built for 1.5 MW ACCIONA wind turbines. The bearings are being manufactured in RBC’s new custom-built 80,000 square-foot facility in Houston, which became operational in late summer of 2009. This is another important milestone for RBC in the company’s initiative to supply pitch and yaw bearings to the wind turbine generator industry.

“We are pleased with the progress our team is making to serve this industry. Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility is now ready. Our advanced engineering team, equipped with the most up-to-date analytical design tools, now provides custom-engineered solutions to some of the largest producers of wind turbine generators in the world,” says Dr. Michael J. Hartnett, RBC president and CEO. “This certification is another significant step for RBC Bearings. We are at the beginning of what I am sure will be a very successful new business segment for us as we provide critical components necessary to the growth of the U.S. wind turbine generator industry.”

RBC Bearings is a leading manufacturer of precision bearings for industrial, aerospace, and defense applications. The company has 22 manufacturing facilities throughout North America and Europe and is supported by a global network of sales engineers, authorized distributors, and agents. For additional information call (800) 390-3300 or go to www.rbcbearings.com.

The City of Iowa City, Iowa, continues its work to develop what is believed to be the first Wind Energy Supply Chain Campus in the United States. Since November 2008 the city has taken steps to acquire, annex, and zone 173 acres of land located on the city’s east side and begin infrastructure work. Sewer service projects and road improvements are underway or scheduled for development. To date over three-dozen companies have visited or requested information about the campus.

“We are able to meet power and transportation needs because this campus is being developed from the ground up,” says Joe Raso, Iowa City Area Development (ICAD) Group president. “Unlike other industrial sites which may have to be retrofitted, this campus is being designed specifically to the needs of the wind energy sector.”

This development puts OEM suppliers in close proximity to Acciona North America’s operations in West Branch and Clipper’s North American nacelle manufacturing plant in Cedar Rapids. The campus is rail served and will allow companies easy access via Interstate 80 to their customers and the growing number of wind projects not only in Iowa, but in the upper Midwest. Additionally, it will soon be certified as one of only three “shovel-ready sites” in the region.

In response to continuous inquiries, ICAD Group has launched a special Web site featuring a snapshot overview of the campus and important facts about the benefits of doing business in Iowa City. Users can link to laborshed reports, detailed property information about the campus, and obtain a free transportation quote to estimate costs of shipping products to and from our area. “At this stage companies are planning for projects in 2010 and 2011 and need data to determine which locations make sense for their needs,” Raso says. “Our supply chain campus Web site will help national and international companies with their research and make it easy for them to contact us with specific questions or to arrange site tours.”

To learn more contact Raso at (319) 354-3939 or jraso@iowacityarea.com. Also visit www.iowacitywind.com.

Hyosung has again selected Romax Technology as a leading partner in their wind energy activities. Following the success of their first collaborations on 750kW and 2MW wind turbine gearboxes, Hyosung and Romax will cooperate on future wind turbine projects.

Romax and Hyosung first worked together when the UK based consultancy supported Hyosung in the design and optimization of a 750kW and 2MW gearbox. Romax assisted in the collation of commercial and engineering market research and the concept design, detailed design, and manufacturing drawings. In addition, Romax has provided continuous testing and certification support. Both projects proved successful with the 750kW and 2MW gearboxes recently achieving type certification through DEWI-OCC (Offshore and Certification Centre GmbH) following successful field trials.

The success of these previous ventures and the standard of the technical and commercial support they received led Hyosung to select Romax as a key partner in their new venture. “Romax’s expertise in wind turbine engineering is an important factor in our success,” according to K.H. (Kevin) Ho, senior vice president of industrial machinery PU from Hyosung. “We have no doubt that this will continue well into our future collaborations, and we had no hesitation in choosing to work with Romax again.”

“We are delighted that Hyosung have asked us to partner with them again and we are confident that the partnership will yield more success for both Romax and Hyosung,” says Andy Poon, director of renewable energy at Romax. For more information go to www.romaxtech.com.

A new collaboration between MAG Industrial Automation Systems and Dowding Machining LLC is poised to revolutionize manufacturing of wind turbine components with specially-designed CNC modules for the production of hubs and new automated technology for composite wind blade production. The Michigan-based venture—dubbed Astraeus from the Greek mythological “father of the four winds”—will use a unique new machine design to dramatically reduce the production times of turbine hubs, the large castings to which the blades are attached, to about four hours—a process that now typically takes 20 to 24 hours on the best production lines. In what will be the first implementation of MAG’s Rapid Material Placement System (RMPS), the new company will bring integrated manufacturing with automation and repeatable process control to wind blade fabrication—a process that has historically been manual, making blades prone to imperfections and weight variations, and exposing wind turbine manufacturers to warranty and replacement costs.

The new business unites MAG, a world leader in machine tools and aerospace composites, and Dowding Machining, a large-component precision machining operation, in an effort to make wind energy more cost-competitive as an alternative energy solution. “We’ve already seen significant interest in our capabilities from Asian and European companies,” says Jeff Metts, president of Dowding Machining. Plans for Astraeus include opening global facilities to supply worldwide demand.

 The management and organization of Astraeus will be announced by the end of the year, with production expected to ramp up very quickly. “We plan on producing some of the components by the middle of next year,” according to Roger Cope, president of the Strategic Business Development Group of MAG.

MAG is a leading machine tool and systems company serving the durable-goods industry worldwide with complete manufacturing solutions. The company offers a comprehensive line of equipment and technologies including process development, automated assembly, turning, milling, automotive powertrain production, composites processing, maintenance, automation and controls, and core components. Key industrial markets served by these technologies include aerospace, automotive and truck, heavy equipment, oil and gas, rail, solar energy, wind turbine production and general machining. More information is available at www.mag-ias.com.

Dowding Machining LLC is a precision machine solutions provider for large components and is an affiliate of Dowding Industries, Inc., a woman-owned manufacturer of progressive die stampings, metal fabrications, and welded assemblies. Learn more by visiting www.dowdingindustries.com.

The world leader in environmental measurement Vaisala, together with electricity and natural gas energy company Xcel Energy and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), have joined forces on a pioneering pilot project in the United States that will take observing and forecasting for wind energy production to the next level.

The goal of the pilot is to explore the use of a new wind observing and forecasting system in Xcel Energy’s wind power generation. The system will provide critical decision-making support for balancing wind power with traditional fossil fuel generation while minimizing costs and improving reliability. A primary focus of the effort is to develop technologies that will better anticipate changes in wind energy output from wind farms. “This is a great opportunity for Vaisala to again demonstrate how we can provide observation systems for weather critical applications,” says Richard Pyle, head of the company’s wind energy market segment.

“We are extremely pleased to enter this pilot project with Vaisala and NCAR, who both are leading players in their fields and can significantly contribute to the development of wind forecasting in energy production,” says Mary Fisher, vice president of strategic technology for Xcel Energy. “Once completed the pilot, if successful, will inform wind farms operators on the means to increase reliability and minimize integration cost.”

Vaisala is providing Xcel Energy with surface weather stations, radar wind profiling capability, and National Lightning Detection Network® data, as well as installation and operating services for a 12-month pilot program. The wind observation network will be located around wind farms in Colorado that total 400 megawatts of installed capacity. The network became operational in November 2009.

NCAR has been contracted to refine a wind forecasting system that focuses on wind ramp detection for the project. Vaisala’s observation data will be integrated with the forecast information in a decision support tool developed by Vaisala in close cooperation with the three parties. To learn more contact Richard Pyle at (303) 589 8772 or richard.pyle@vaisala.com. Visit online at www.vaisala.com.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland recently announced that 25 state solar and wind projects will receive more than $13 million in grants funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s State Energy Program. The announcement was made last November at Lincoln Electric’s Automation Center of Excellence in Cleveland, highlighting the company’s welding solutions for wind tower fabricators.

Among those projects was $1 million awarded to Lincoln Electric to help install a wind turbine at its Cleveland manufacturing facilities. The plans call for a 2.5-megawatt turbine that will generate approximately 10 percent of the electrical needs for Lincoln’s Cleveland manufacturing operations.

“We are excited to have this opportunity under Ohio’s energy program to demonstrate the value of wind energy by investing in our own installation,” says John Stropki, chairman and CEO. “This project is a continuation of other Lincoln environmental, health, and safety (EHS) programs and green initiatives currently under way in our manufacturing operations to improve our costs and protect our environment. Not only will the wind project provide long-term benefits by reducing our energy costs, it will also showcase the unique benefits that Lincoln products and welding solutions provide to wind tower manufacturers to improve their quality and lower their costs.” Learn more at www.lincolnelectric.com.