Journal of Modern Mechanical Engineering and Technology

Articles

Vol. 13 (2026)

Fabrication of Small-Scale Wind Turbine Composite Blades by the Hand Lay-Up Technique: An Industrial Approach

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31875/2409-9848.2026.13.08
Submitted
August 22, 2026
Published
2026-09-21

Abstract

In harnessing wind energy, turbine blades play a crucial role due to which their design and manufacturing is given paramount importance. Various fabrication techniques, such as hand lay-up, vacuum bagging, and resin transfer moulding (RTM), for fabrication of the blade with the focus being on minimizing cost and defects while at the same time achieving precision in both geometry and dimension. This study focuses on fabrication of 1 m long turbine blade with helix angle, using the conventional hand lay-up technique. Carbon fiber and Epoxy resin were used primarily because of their high strength-to-weight ratio and durability. The fabrication process included the following: (i) mould design, (ii) sequential carbon fiber lay-up, (iii) resin application, (iv) curing, and (v) finishing. Key parameters, such as (i) fiber orientation, (ii) resin content, and (iii) curing time, were optimized for the purpose of obtaining quality product. Subsequently, the resulting blades were evaluated for dimensional accuracy, and blade density. This study highlights the nuances in fabrication of small-scale wind turbine blades using the hand lay-up technique as it is an effective method due to its low cost, flexibility in design, and suitability for complex shapes, thereby making it an ideal choice for customized blade production. Furthermore, this method ensures affordability for large scale applications as well as fabrication in small batches.

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