Rotating at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, wind turbine blades consistently encounter an array of environmental factors – including sand, hail and salt spray – which can cause significant damage and reduce aerodynamic efficiency.

St. Paul, Minn. - August 9, 2016 - Rotating at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, wind turbine blades consistently encounter an array of environmental factors - including sand, hail and salt spray - which can cause significant damage and reduce aerodynamic efficiency.

Realizing the importance of optimizing performance to maximize return on investment (ROI), increased attention has been focused on the need to protect and maintain wind turbine blades. For more than 40 years, 3M has been a leader in leading edge protection, starting with the aerospace industry, due to their expertise in product generation, development and manufacturing.

During the WindEnergy Hamburg Expo from September 27-30, 2016, 3M plans on launching a new solution for wind turbine blade protection. Building on the success of the companys existing Wind Protection Tape portfolio, which provides the most widely used leading edge protection technologies in the market, 3M has taken a proven solution and improved it significantly. Made with a tough, high durability polyurethane elastomer, 3M Wind Protection Tape 2.0 is designed to resist erosion from rain, sand, and punctures, even at prolonged exposure to UV rays.

"In the wind industry, it is critical for operators to find proactive techniques to maintain and increase wind blade performance," said Santhosh Chandrabalan, Global Business Manager, 3M Wind Energy. "In our current line of Wind Protection Tapes, field studies have consistently demonstrated an average life cycle of six to eight years. Remarkably, through 31+ hours of rain erosion lab testing with the same conditions, 3M Wind Protection Tape 2.0 has lasted up to three times longer, as it is the only solution that can be consistently applied in terms of thickness performance."

Additional advantages to 3M Wind Protection Tape 2.0 include extended maintenance and service intervals, fast and easy application in OEM environments and a broad application window enabling installations under harsh conditions (e.g., temperature and humidity). By installing a robust solution such as the Wind Protection Tape, wind farm owners and operators can avoid loss in AEP due to erosion resulting in an increased ROI.

Visit booth A4-430 at the WindEnergy Hamburg Expo to see a variety of innovative 3M products in action.

For more information about 3M Wind Energy, please visit www.3m.com/Wind.
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