Standardization of sandwich core test methods for the wind industry
Joint Industry Project
DNV launched a Joint Industry Project to define and standardize core testing methods to increase the efficiency of product qualifications.
Challenge
Manufacturers of sandwich panel cores have suffered from a lack of global standards since invention of the material. Individual standards have led to lengthy qualifications, increased costs and lack of comparability. To date, resin uptake tests are highly variable and inhomogeneous. This is unfavorable for the manufacturers of core materials as well as for the industry that embeds those core materials in composite sandwich structures, namely blade manufacturers in the wind industry. Therefore, standard industry practices need to be defined together by core material suppliers and clients, preferably the industry leaders, and not created by individual parties. The aim is to align major suppliers and OEMs to standardize the industry.
Solution
DNV launches a joint industry project to define and standardize core testing methods to generate comparability and improve data validity and reliability to increase the efficiency of product qualifications and the compatibility and interoperability between products.Benefits
- Definition of standard test methods
- Definition of best analysis methods to derive design values and safety factors
- Specification of requirements in a DNV standard
Value
- Establish requirements for core material test methods
- Facilitate and shorten material qualification
- Improve quality of sandwich structures