Ready for the next revolution
Investments and a new blade-turning device. The specialist supplier Ematec, which is based in Memmingerberg (Germany), is one of the world’s leading suppliers of lifting equipment for the wind-power industry. The company recently expanded its premises by around 5,000 m2, rebuilt two halls, invested in new production technology and transformed a whole range of processes. Ematec is ready for the next wave.
Ematec expects the winds to billow its sails again at the ‘WindEnergy 2024’ trade fair in Hamburg on 24-27 September. The company will present its next innovation there, namely a completely new blade-turning unit that is set to revolutionise the service and maintenance sector.
Ematec’s chief technical officer (CTO) Julian Eberhard told the media that “we’ve already revolutionised the single-blade assembly of rotor blades with our rotor blade traverses in the RBC and RBC-D series. Now we’re going one step further and presenting a model of a blade-turning unit in Hamburg that makes it possible to pitch a rotor blade on the ground around its longitudinal axis. This allows the blades to be rotated smoothly and continuously for repairs.”
Eberhard is convinced of the new development’s potential for success. “Our new blade turner is sure to make an outstanding impact on the market, as this innovation will save companies millions of euros in service costs. For the first time ever, most repairs can now be carried out directly at the wind turbine site, thus eliminating large logistics efforts. The business partners and customers to whom we’ve already presented the idea are completely thrilled.”
The path to growth
At Ematec the signs all point to further expansion. This is also reflected in the firm’s latest investments. “We had an opportunity to buy a neighbouring property. We took advantage of this possibility and converted two halls there that serve as assembly and storage areas. The expansion has given us more space, overall, allowing us to separate the turning and milling departments in the machining area,” Eberhard elaborated.
Ematec has installed an additional CNC machining centre in the milling shop and a universal lathe in the turning shop. This enables it to significantly expand its capacity in the production of hydraulic cylinders and other steel components, thereby speeding up the manufacturing process as a whole.
Optimised logistics
Ematec is also optimising its logistics. The company has installed additional doors in the main production and service hall, so that the individual work stations can be accessed directly from the outside, through the hall doors. This makes handling easier and helps complete service and maintenance orders for rotor blade yokes more quickly.
“This investment has also been triggered by our success. The demand for our RBC-D rotor blade yokes remains high, and the more yokes are in use, the more service and maintenance orders there are,” Eberhard added.
The RBC and RBC-D rotor blade yokes developed by Ematec are considered the most innovative lifting equipment with which to assemble rotor blades. Enercon, the largest German wind turbine manufacturer, has ordered more than 25 lifting beams from Ematec in the past four years, and has already put the majority of them into operation worldwide.
Ematec’s workforce has also grown considerably. The firm now employs 60 people in Memmingerberg. Its turnover has been growing for years now, with the latest annual increase exceeding 30%.