Because of their size, wind turbines are transported in individual parts to their offshore setup destination. Because individual components are manufactured at different sites, they are often put together for the first time at the mounting site on high seas. Therefore, it is necessary to verify and control the dimensions of the connections and mounting surfaces of the tower and foundation independently before mounting.

In this article we will look at how an optical coordinate measuring machine (CMM) was used to guarantee a smooth setup of offshore wind turbines by checking the dimensions of the mounting surfaces and bolts.

Optical 3-D coordinate measuring system

For this application a TRITOP CMM was used. This instrument, manufactured by Capture 3D, is a portable optical measuring system that precisely determines 3-D coordinates of specified object points (see figure 1). The gauging points are easily marked with self-adhesive or magnetic markers before the measuring process (as seen in figure. 2).

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