Dillinger has developed new steel types suited for monopiles, the steel towers for offshore wind turbines, Kallanish learns from the platemaker.
The research was carried out with materials scientists from Saarland University, mechanical engineers from RWTH Aachen University, and other partners in high-performance steel plate project.
The properties of the new steels enable them to withstand storms, waves and aggressive saltwater for many years, yet can still be produced economically, Dillinger says. They are suited for high-energy submerged arc welding and electron beam welding, which significantly shortens production times for processors.
“These high-performance welding processes are increasingly being used in large-scale industrial production for welding-intensive steel applications,” says Sebastian Scholl, Dillinger’s research and development project manager.
“Particularly in the case of monopiles, joints stretching for kilometres are required due to the huge size of the structures with large sheet thicknesses. Such a process requires materials that can withstand the enormous temperature influences during the joining process,” he explains.
The project was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and recently concluded after almost four years.
Christian Koehl Germany
