Based in Denmark, AH Industries has been at the forefront of the wind turbine industry since the mid 1980s, and today its parts are found in around 10% of wind turbines operating around the world.
However, the company had found that in-house milling of the surfaces of the main bearing houses (critical parts that are attached to the main frame of the turbine) was taking more time than it should. It was also very noisy, and if they tried to increase feeds and speeds the tools would break. Tom Jakobsen, Seco’s international wind power application expert, realised that the vibrations experienced when machining the part could be eliminated and that machine cycle times could be vastly improved through the use of Steadyline – Seco’s vibration-damping shell mill tool holder.
According to Jakobsen, the dynamic damping system features a vibration absorber that is positioned where the deflection is highest, at the front of the bar. This dampens the vibrations as soon as they are transmitted by the cutting tool and means you can push the tool harder and often work as much as three times faster than before.
Using the Steadyline solution has enabled AH Industries to speed up the milling of these mountings by 269%. Other benefits have included improved tool life and the creation of a more reliable, repeatable and stable process.
Seco Tools
T: 01789 764341
