16.10.2023
ZF Wind Power relies on torque technology from STAHLWILLE.
Inhalt
01.
The future belongs to renewable energy sources.
Wind power – whether on or offshore – plays an important role here, and all signs are pointing to growth. And right in the middle of it all: ZF Wind Power, a subsidiary of the ZF Group, which is among the world’s leading gearbox manufacturers for wind power plants. Their production location in Lommel, Belgium relies entirely on STAHLWILLE for their torque technology needs.
ZF Wind Power has more than 70 years of experience in the field of wind power. The plant at the Lommel headquarters is one of a total of six production facilities worldwide and received the Belgian ‘Factory of the Future’ award in 2022. More than 1,000 high-performance gearboxes are sent from here annually to wind power plant manufacturers, for wind turbines with an output of three to six megawatts.
02.
Gearboxes from Lommel are technical masterpieces.
The hub of such a wind turbine stands as high as the Cologne Cathedral. The blades are 20-times longer than their equivalents 40 years ago and the gearbox torques increased by as much as 1,000 times in the same time period. One thing is certain: The gearboxes from Lommel are technical masterpieces and are valuable assets. Accordingly, precision, reliability and efficiency in assembly and quality assurance are a top priority, and the correct choice of tools, particularly torque technology, is extremely important.
03.
Perfect calibration in just ten minutes.
It’s no surprise that the company relies on STAHLWILLE: Around 800 torque wrenches from the manufacturer are currently in use at Lommel. ZF Wind Power chose the MANOSKOP® 730N, the MANOSKOP® 730 Fix, the MANOSKOP® 730D and the MANOSKOP® 714 for its requirements. The consistent quality of the tools in combination with their high level of reliability was the deciding factor.
In addition, ZF Wind invested in a motorised perfectControl calibration system from STAHLWILLE. The company values how easily, safely and quickly it works: Because the system is software-controlled and guides the user through the calibration process, colleagues on site only need about ten minutes to calibrate a torque wrench. Just twenty minutes after a torque wrench has been collected at the assembly location in order to be calibrated, it is ready for use again at the same workplace – ideal conditions for working precisely and efficiently at all times. After all, the future of our energy supply is already being made today.