Evaluating water-based release agents through full-scale demolding tests for wind turbine rotor blades

The demolding of rotor blades is a crucial step in wind turbine blade manufacturing. Effective release agent systems are essential to prevent damage during the demolding process, both to the mold and the rotor blade. This study suggests a test method to investigate the demolding behavior of release agent systems. It investigates two water-based systems: One developed by Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, and a commercially ready alternative. Utilizing a full-scale mold for a 40 m rotor blade, a series of test components were built without the intermediate reapplication of the release agent. The forces required for each subsequent demolding process were measured and analyzed. Notably, the demolding forces generally increased with each successive release. This study provided qualitative insights into the efficacy of the release agent systems and their potential for improving production efficiency, but did not enable us to establish maximum permissible demolding forces. This method offers a practical framework for evaluating release agents under realistic manufacturing conditions, facilitating better predictions for reapplication requirements and enhancing product quality in rotor blade production. Paper: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zKqlTCSnxe98dL0Oe8eytbi_xDW2YcqY