February 26, 2014 – Today, GE announced the opening of its Global Wind Turbine Drivetrain Repair Innovation Lab at the site of GE’s Power Generation Repair Technology Center in Albany, N.Y.

The facility is equipped with advanced technologies to support fast development and innovation for repairs to the wind turbine’s gearbox and rotor, says GE, creating a lab environment to simulate and solve problems that previously had to be worked on more than 100 metres in the air and at remote sites.

Technical capabilities of the lab include:

• Rapid prototyping tools, such as 3D printers and computer numerical control machines.
• Robotic welding and advanced machining tools.
• Repair of various gearbox models
• Turbine generator repair.

“This is the first facility of its kind dedicated to developing repair technologies and capabilities that reduce the life cycle cost of wind turbines,” explained Andy Holt, general manager of global wind projects and services. “Albany was an ideal location for the facility with its close proximity to GE’s renewable energy headquarters, the GE Energy Learning Center, as well as the existing Repair Technologies Center.”