News and press releases

19/10/2006

Wind turbines represent an important alternative energy source in Germany and on an international scale. These plants are based on a fascinating and complex engineering feat which is often only made possible by CERATIZIT. for many producers of wind turbines have been applying CERATIZIT tools in their machining operations. In this manner CERATIZIT makes a significant contribution to the creation of energy generators which reduce the consumption of fossil energy to protect the environment.

“For the last ten years various manufacturers have been applying CERATIZIT tools to build wind power plants“, says Hans Weilharter, application engineer and technical application consultant for cutting tools at CERATIZIT. “In the past two years our business in the wind energy sector has greatly increased, so CERATIZIT has been able to contribute even more intensely to environmental protection.”

CERATIZIT tools in application
MaxiMill A251 series milling cutters, MaxiDrill tools as well as inserts with HyperCoat coating are applied when producing wind turbines. MaxiDrill tools with their helical chip flutes are characterised by low deflection and the ability to absorb transverse forces without problems. The inserts with HyperCoat coating are synonymous with excellent results providing extra-long tool life and absolute reliability even with difficult production conditions. The most various CERATIZIT tools are applied to machine location flanges, rim bearings and the housing of the wind turbine.

Wind turbines – technical structure
How does a wind turbine work? It consists of the rotor hub, rotor blades, the pod and the turbine tower. In most of the cases the tower consists of two to four segments, which are connected by means of the location flanges. The pod is on the tower. The pod can be rotated and has both a generator (converts rotational energy into electric power) and a gear inside (converts the low revolution number of the rotor into a rev number that is suitable for the generator). The rim bearing ensures an optimum position of the pod, and thus the rotor blades, in relation to the wind. It is positioned in the rotor hub which is mounted onto the rotor blades.

Supplies up to 1000 households per year
A typical wind turbine of 2 Megawatt is able to supply up to 1000 households per year with electric power. Such a plant produces 4000 MWh per year in 2000 hours, while an average household consumes approx. 3.5 MWh.

CERATIZIT corporate value number 6: “Our environment matters“
The carbide experts from CERATIZIT have understood that values such as treating each other as partners, professionalism and communication represent an important component of their work and have formulated six corporate values. CERATIZIT fulfils, amongst other things, value number 6, ’Our environment matters’, by participating in the construction of wind turbines. Application engineer Weilharter says: “Thanks to our good business relations with the manufacturers of wind turbines we make a decisive contribution in the field of environmental protection and show that our environment matters.” Dr. Andreas Lackner, Managing Director of CERATIZIT Austria Gesellschaft m.b.H, explains: “At CERATIZIT the responsible treatment of resources is not only an economic necessity but also a commitment to sustainability. This is why we are investing in the recycling of carbide scrap and count on our environment-friendly water-spray technology when manufacturing our carbide granulates.”