Denmark-based offshore engineering specialist MacArtney has been contracted by Shanghai Electric to work on an automated wind turbine tool.
MacArtney has designed a device that minimises human effort in re-tensioning and torquing the generator/hub bolts of a wind turbine.
Prior to torquing each bolt, the so-called ‘hub generator tightening tool’ is positioned using an optical sensor that ensures the correct location under the nacelle.
The tightening of the bolts is then carried out in stages.
The first stage is to initiate the fully automated process of rotating the generator and pre-tightening the bolts.
During the torquing stage all bolts are correctly torqued and stamped with a ‘torque approved’ mark to provide a reference for manual inspection, guaranteeing the bolts are correctly tightened, improving safety and reducing labour hours.
The torque process is thoroughly monitored throughout and logged in the quality control report.