Blade Manufacturing QC: Inspection at the Moulding Station

Author: RAS Thermal Co., Ltd. · Updated 2026-10-07

TL;DR A gantry scanning at 500 mm/s, matching the takt time on moulds of 80 m and longer. A spar cap scanned within 30 minutes of infusion, before the blade moves on. PAUT plus TOFD dual-modality resolving porosity, delamination and dry laminate in a single pass. Results pushed to the MES so a rework instruction reaches the operator in under 60 seconds.

A defect caught at the moulding station costs a repair, and the same defect found after demoulding costs weeks of production time. That gap is the whole reason a gantry cell lives inside a blade line rather than beside it. The scan has to fit the takt time, not the other way round.

What this stage covers

The scope is the production flow rather than a single blade. The gantry scans spar caps, shear webs and bond lines immediately after moulding, within 30 minutes of infusion, and pushes the result into the MES so a rework instruction reaches the operator while the blade is still in the station. Catch it here and it is a repair. Catch it later and it is a schedule problem.

What the inspection includes

A gantry scanning at 500 mm/s, matching the takt time on moulds of 80 m and longer
A spar cap scanned within 30 minutes of infusion, before the blade moves on
PAUT plus TOFD dual-modality resolving porosity, delamination and dry laminate in a single pass
Results pushed to the MES so a rework instruction reaches the operator in under 60 seconds

Where the value sits

The numbers line up on coverage and on takt time together, which is where the cell earns its place. A 600 mm spar cap falls to one longitudinal pass at 500 mm/s on a 64-element array, where a single-element probe would need 20 passes and about five times the time. That is what lets the cell deliver the 100 % coverage Section 11 asks for without adding takt time, and a rework instruction out in under 60 seconds means the fix happens inside the same station visit rather than after the blade has left it.

How to plan this stage

Run these checks in order. By Step 5 the scan, the threshold and the record are aligned to the stage.

Fix the acceptance threshold. Start from the threshold the zone carries, not from the method you happen to own. IEC 61400-5 Section 11 asks for volumetric detection of indications 6 mm and larger in the laminate plane, and DNV-ST-0126 tightens the leading edge to 3 mm, so the threshold is set before the probe is chosen.
Read the geometry off the drawing. Measure the thickness and the curvature the probe has to travel. A spar cap up to 80 mm of unidirectional laminate and a root transition of changing radius are two different scan problems, and the radius decides how the array is coupled.
Choose the modality pair. Pick modules by defect geometry, not by habit. PAUT images planar separations that lie parallel to the plies, TOFD catches volumetric clusters whatever their orientation, and running both on a 256-channel system puts the two mechanisms in one pass.
Automate the scan path. Put the probe on an encoder-driven carriage and let the path, not the technician, set coverage. A 600 mm spar cap falls to one longitudinal pass at 500 mm/s on a linear array, where a single-element probe needs 20 parallel passes and runs about five times longer.
Lock the evidence chain. Write the coverage map, the daily calibration and the indication log to the blade serial while the scan is running. It is the difference between a 3-day type-certification audit and a 3-hour document review, and it is what ISO 9712 qualification is there to sign.

The numbers below are drawn from the equipment records and field campaigns this site already publishes, not from a generic catalogue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why inspect at the moulding station rather than after demoulding?

Because the cost changes with the timing. A defect caught in the station is a repair, and the same defect found after demoulding is weeks of production time, so the cell is placed where the fix is still cheap.

Does inline inspection add takt time?

No, when the cell keeps pace. A 600 mm cap takes one longitudinal pass at 500 mm/s on a 64-element array, where a single-element probe needs 20 passes and about five times the time, so 100 % coverage fits inside the cadence.

How does a rework instruction reach the operator?

Through the MES. The scan result is pushed to the manufacturing system and the instruction reaches the operator in under 60 seconds, so the fix happens inside the same station visit rather than on a queue.

What does a single pass cover?

Porosity, delamination and dry laminate together, because PAUT and TOFD run as a dual-modality pair on a 256-channel system. One pass answers the planar and the volumetric questions rather than two.

Bottom line: The moulding station is where a defect is a repair rather than a cut-out, so the cell is built to keep takt time while covering the primary structure. Scan the cap within 30 minutes of infusion at 500 mm/s, and push the rework instruction out in under 60 seconds.