Lindoe Welding Center (LWC)
The Lindoe Welding Center (LWC) will be founded as a A/S in a collaboration between LORC and Force Technology, the major player in Denmark when it comes to welding and testing. The welding center aims to overcome the financial challenge of producing welded structures, such as wind turbine towers, transition pieces, foundations, and engines. LWC’s centerpiece will be the largest commercially available fiber laser welding device in the world: A 30 kW fiber laser.
LWC represents a strong unit of experience, skills, and ideal facilities, with the ambition of developing the welding techniques of the future. Key to this process are automation and industrialization, which are crucial for reducing production time and welding costs.
Innovation leads to new production methods
LWC plans to undertake large-scale testing of production methods, such as the welding of wind turbine towers and foundations for offshore use. The high effect laser possesses obvious business potential for improving product quality, working conditions, safety, and production costs:
- 20-times shorter lead times on welding of heavy section steel constructions
- Design of innovative surface layers
- Ability to optimize product reproducibility
Foundations for wind turbines at depths greater than 50 meters
The demand for offshore wind turbines at depths greater than 50 meters will increase. In order to be able to produce and install offshore wind turbines to fulfill this need, it is imperative to develop welding techniques – such as heavy section fiber laser welding – that can reduce the costs and man hours involved in welding.
Steel in offshore substructures
LWC participates in research projects aimed at improving overall equipment efficiency, reducing labor costs, welding quality, lead time, and materials costs. This will be achieved by deploying high-powered fiber laser welding. Compared with conventional welding technologies, this benefits from a high-level of automation and up to 20-times shorter lead times. It also results in more uniform material qualities and faster and easier post-welding treatments.