GE has announced the expansion of its Campinas, São Paulo, manufacturing facility and the creation of 35 new skilled jobs. Co-located with Brazilian machinery manufacturer and GE Group subsidiary GEVISA, the facility will produce nacelles for GE’s 1.7-100 and 1.85-82.5 wind turbines. The machine head is a primary component of a wind turbine and houses…
Altra Industrial Motion launches website for renewable industries
Altra Industrial Motion announced it has launched a new website, www.altrarenewableenergy.com, that gives engineers and technical professionals a resource for the latest technology in power transmission and motion control solutions utilized on turbines for wind, tidal and ocean current applications, solar panels and biomass furnaces. The new website showcases a wide array of standard and…
Wind Talk: The future of GE technology for wind services
I’m Steven, assistant editor of Windpower Engineering & Development magazine. Welcome to another edition of Wind Talk, our podcast series that gives you the opportunity to hear from the industry’s newsmakers in their own words. In this podcast, we hear from Andy Holt, general manager of wind services for GE’s renewable energy business. He just…
A safer way to walk on nacelles
Working on top of a nacelle is a common and dangerous part of the job for wind technicians. It’s no surprise that proper fall protection there is mandatory. Commonly, technicians use locks and cables or attach safety straps to low-mounted rails to protect against falls. This makes them bend awkwardly to attach devices or,…
A tool expert shares lessons learned in drop prevention
Article by John Tremblay / Wind Energy Manager / Snap-on Industrial Dropped objects are a leading cause of death and injury in the workplace, and the windpower industry is no exception. In May, a worker on a wind project construction site was struck and killed by a falling wrench. At Windpower 2013 in Chicago,…
Underwater turbine rides the tide
A Scottish company’s tidal turbine is a few degrees away from commercial deployment. Weighing 100 tons and measuring 33 meters, a 250-kW prototype reached a peak power export of 273 kW during a recent trial. Bigger tests are on the horizon. Essentially, the turbine is a floating cylindrical tube that supports dual horizontal axis rotors.…
Aztec Bolting raffles a chopper for charity
Marco Echeuerria of Clear Lake, Texas, has won a custom motorcycle designed by Rick Fairless of Strokers Dallas. Commissioned by Aztec Bolting, the chopper was dubbed “Bad to the Bolt,” and was raffled on July 7. All proceeds have been donated to Legacy Milestones, a charity promoting healthy families and marriages. “We’re passionate about providing…
General Tools’ boroscope wins award for innovation
General Tools & Instruments has been recognized for excellence in HVACR product design as a winner in the Dealer Design Awards Program. An independent panel of contractors judged nearly 125 entries in the annual contest sponsored by The Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News (The ACHR News). General’s new iBorescope (DCiS1) is among a group…
UTILCO introduces in-line stud mount transformer connectors
UTILCO has introduced a series of in-line universal stud mount transformer connectors for secondary distribution. The Type UPTF series is dual-rated with a max wire range of 500 kcmil. The stud-mounting hole provides greater versatility because it accepts both 5/8 and 1-inch transformer studs. The tin-plated round bottom screws provide improved conductivity. An optional clear…
Nord-Lock provides peace of mind for innovative turbine manufacturer
Cambridge, Mass.-based Eastern Wind Power (EWP) is about to launch a wind turbine that could soon be spotted on roofs of urban high-rises, at remote industrial plants, or in developing countries, providing power for basic needs like drinking water and lighting. Unlike the propeller-type horizontal axis wind turbines that are common in many parts of…
Composites One building a new distribution center in Texas
Composites One, a leading distributor of composite materials, has begun construction of its 40,000-sq. ft. concrete tilt-up distribution center in Katy, Texas. The new facility is located in the Stonegate Business Park in Waller County on U.S. 90 north of I-10. Composites One Marketing Manager Marcy Offner said construction is scheduled to be completed by…
Honeywell’s Dave Cote selected “CEO Of The Year”
Chief Executive Magazine has named Honeywell Chairman and CEO Dave Cote “2013 CEO of the Year,” an honor that recognizes an outstanding corporate leader nominated and selected by peers. The award will be featured on the cover of Chief Executive Magazine‘s July issue and can also be found at ChiefExecutive.net. The award recognizes the…
Moxa introduces rugged IP dome camera
Moxa, a provider of hardened networking, communication and computing solutions, is helping bring the benefits of IP network video to challenging outdoor applications, such as those at windpower sites, by expanding its industry-leading VPort camera line to include the VPort P26A-1MP-T. “There is growing adoption of IP systems across all segments of the security industry;…
Wind Talk: Readily biodegradable lubrication performs better than dirtier oils
RSC Bio Solutions teamed up with the Great Lakes Science Center, a museum and educational facility in Cleveland, Ohio, to demonstrate the qualities of readily biodegradable EnviroLogic 132 lubricant versus conventional petroleum lubricants in the hydraulic pitch control mechanism of the museum’s wind turbine. In the end, the bio-based lubrication fluid performed so well that,…
AWS Truepower partners with MIT Energy Initiative
AWS Truepower, an energy consulting and information services firm, has become an affiliate member of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), which is engaged in high-profile research on the future of the U.S. and global energy systems. Under the partnership, which has a term of 3 years, AWS Truepower will provide national, historical wind and solar…
GE accelerates wind energy development in Brazil
GE, a turbine suppliers with more than 20,000 units installed, has announced the opening of a new wind energy services center in Bahia, Brazil. This facility, the first of two service centers opening in Brazil this year, enables GE to more quickly and efficiently put local expertise to work for customers, responding to rapidly growing…
Software takes new approach to composites optimization
Collier Research Corporation’s newly released Version 6.4.5 of HyperSizer composite structural analysis and optimization software not only runs much faster, it’s now based on a reconfigured core technology with built-in “intelligence” that produces more accurate answers with less user input. “We’ve developed a completely different approach that will make the general engineer’s job easier while…
Gateway Safety respirators help workers breathe easier
In 2012 there were 2,371 total respiratory protection citations, according to OSHA, making it one of the agency’s top-cited violations. Companies can avoid being part of this statistic by selecting the right respiratory product. TruAir and TruAir Plus, NIOSH approved N95 and N99-level protection respectively, feature a similar design with a large, molded shell to…
Helukabel expands logistics center, includes green features
Helukabel, a leading cable manufacturer, has recently brought their expanded global logistics center in Hemmingen near Stuttgart, Germany online. The $50 million project allowed the company to more than double its warehousing capacity, providing a foundation for further growth in the future. The goal of the expansion is to allow the company to continue to…
SKF offers next-generation condition monitoring
Next-generation SKF Multilog IMx on-line monitoring systems equip users with a 24/7 monitoring system, providing timely simultaneous measurements of operating parameters to improve machine reliability, availability and performance. All IMx systems detect faults early, integrate automatic recognition to correct existing or impending conditions, and contribute to condition-based maintenance program objectives. This next-generation IMx technology is…