Windpower 2013 Photoblog: Day One

Windpower Engineering and Development social media coordinator Heather Centorbi and “summer sales professional” Alyson Kado hop on the shuttle to AWEA Windpower 2013 conference and exhibition in Chicago.

Attendees wait for the floor to open and peruse the show daily. “Solutions for Success” is AWEA’s theme for the exhibition.

First stop of the day: Windpower Engineering and Development sales manager Neel Gleeson speaks with Pawel Kolek of TF Kable. Kolek is holding a 500-kV rated cable the company developed to supply a growing need in the industry.

Curt Busch waves to the camera at the NTN Bearing Corporation booth. The company is an OEM supplier to multiple turbine and turbine component manufacturers.

Sapa, an aluminum extruder, shows some of its custom creations, which are set on a platform built for the inside of towers. The company can customize these platforms, says the company’s Jason Weber.

Details are important. Jeffrey Hammond of Ecology and Environment, global environmental specialists, doesn’t remember where he got this pin, but it sure is cool.

Mark Filing of Miller Fall Protection demonstrates the Lift Front Hood. The shield and chin guard offer an additional 45 degrees of vertical view over standard hoods, the company says.

See me? This is also from Miller Fall Protection. The AirCore Harness is up to 10% lighter and used 16% less surface area than similar competitive harnesses, the company says.

This bolt from Dokka Fasteners is 50 lbs., give or take, and held by Windpower Engineering and Development sales manager Tom Lazar. It’s a crowd pleaser, says Dokka project manager Erica Strandquist.

The Smalley Steel Ring Company makes large-diameter rings up to 120”. These are smaller versions.

The BASF Corporation said it best with a massive LCD-display: Chicago is “a windy city,” especially this week. A BASF spokesperson says few items on the show floor haven’t incorporated its products in some way.