Blog/News
The digitalization of the wind industry brings a whole new set of tools for inspecting, monitoring and analyzing rotor blade data. Zoom into our blog and read about the latest developments on autonomous drones, AI and big data, and find out more about what’s happening at Sulzer Schmid in particular.
Blog
AI-driven Wind Turbine Blade Anomaly Detection with Microsoft Azure
Anna-Karin RyanEfficiency, reliability, and profitability are the cornerstones of success in the renewable energy sector. A high degree of automation is pivotal for delivering swift, high-quality inspection data, but our journey doesn't end there. Florian Trautweiler, Software Developer and AI specialist at Sulzer Schmid, sheds light on the crucial role of AI in Blade Anomaly Detection and talks about our collaboration with Microsoft and the utilization of Azure Machine Learning Studio to craft a pioneering AI tool. Read more...
Blog
Navigating Rotor Blade Inspections With Customized Solutions
Anna-Karin RyanChoosing the right blade inspection technology can be a challenge and there are lot's of things to consider. Whether you prefer in-house control or outsourcing to a reliable third-party provider, our solutions are designed to meet your unique needs. Fully integrated with the 3DX™ Blade Platform, they provide all the information you need to make informed decisions about your assets.
Blog
Extracting Value from Inspection Data to Optimize Wind Farm O&M
Anna-Karin RyanPredicting damage to wind turbine rotor blades is notoriously difficult. We know that over the 20 to 30-year lifecycle of a wind farm, some damage will occur, but the when, where, how, or severity is anyone’s guess. And this is why regular inspection is so important.
News
Sulzer Schmid Introduces New 3DX™ AutoPilot For Industry Leading Image Quality
Anna-Karin RyanSulzer Schmid announces the introduction of its latest 3DX™ AutoPilot upgraded with a brand-new image capturing system, to ensure crystal clear inspection results. Mounted on DJI’s latest Matrice M350 Enterprise drone, the new 3DX™ AutoPilot payload provides up to 61MP resolution images and introduces a precise adaptive focus and optimized exposure settings for each image, allowing the drone to be positioned even closer to the blade.
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Unlocking the Future of Wind Turbine Maintenance through Data Ubiquity
Marc HoffmannThe wealth of information collected during inspections holds immense potential for optimizing operations. However, the real challenge lies in sifting through this trove of data to extract meaningful insights. A unified data platform isn't just a technological convenience; it's a strategic advantage.
Blog
From Poland to the world: the story of one of Sulzer Schmid's leading drone pilots.
Anna-Karin RyanMeet Jakub, one of Sulzer Schmid's top drone pilots. Hailing from Poland, Jakub has spent three seasons inspecting wind turbines for us. With his can-do personality and deep technical knowledge, he goes above and beyond to deliver the most efficient inspections possible. In this interview, Jakub shares his insights on what it's like to work as a drone pilot for Sulzer Schmid, the challenges he encounters, and how he overcomes them. Get ready to learn more from and about one of our leading pilots!
Blog
Tracking blade damage progression to enable predictive maintenance can generate huge savings and increase annual energy production
Marc HoffmannMaintenance of wind turbines remains an important cost factor, and one that is likely to increase as the development of larger wind turbines, together with the maintenance of aging fleets, lead to increased repair requirements. So, what savings can be made to lower repair costs and increase AEP?
News
Sulzer Schmid completes massive European rotor blade inspection campaign for Vestas
Anna-Karin RyanSulzer Schmid, a Swiss company pioneering UAV technology for wind rotor blade inspections, announced today that it has completed its fourth successive European inspection campaign for Vestas, covering 4,000 wind turbines in seven countries across Northern and Central Europe. The collected data gives Vestas and their customers actionable insights on the health of their fleet.
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PRESS RELEASE - NEW 3DX™ damage progression module
Tom SulzerZurich, Switzerland, 12 July 2022 – Sulzer Schmid announces the launch of its latest 3DX™ Damage Progression module designed to track damages and monitor how they develop over time. By comparing the evolution of blade damages from one inspection campaign to another, the new module enables blade experts to make informed decisions for maintenance and repairs.
News
New Rope Access Case Study
Simone AemmerCheck out our latest Case Study where we learn how Rope Access Sverige AB, a well-established working-at-hights company in Sweden, has optimized its services to its biggest OEM customer by using our 3DX™ Blade Platform. Since starting to work together with Sulzer Schmid in 2021, Rope Access Sverige AB have inspected over 330 Wind turbines in 112 Wind Parks across 3 countries, swiftly collecting, managing, and administrating high quality inspection data whilst significantly reduce cost all along the process, from inspection to planning and execution of repairs.
News
Sulzer Schmid introduces new ultra-portable drone solution for highly flexible wind turbine blade inspections
Tom SulzerZurich, Switzerland, 14th February 2022 – Sulzer & Schmid Laboratories AG, a Swiss company pioneering UAV technology for wind blade inspections, has launched its new 3DX™ SmartPilot drone solution, specifically developed to enable inspection campaigns in geographies where site access or complex logistical barriers require a quick, highly portable blade inspection solution.
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Sulzer Schmid launches new 3DX™ HP solution with fastest industry turnaround times for multi-GW blade inspections
Anna-Karin RyanSulzer & Schmid Laboratories AG announces the launch of its latest 3DX™ High Productivity (HP) solution specifically designed for high volume inspection campaigns. Thanks to advanced automation and AI-enabled analytics, 3DX™ HP delivers a streamlined single-stop process, making it the most efficient rotor blade inspection solution now available on the market.
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Sulzer Schmid completes multi-GW blade inspection campaign for Vestas in Europe
Anna-Karin RyanSulzer Schmid announced today that it has completed a massive blade inspection campaign for Vestas, covering close to 4,000 wind turbines across 14 countries of northern and central Europe.
Blog
What you need to know to start up your digital blade inspection process
Marc HoffmannUsing autonomous drones to carry out a digital inspection of wind turbine rotor blades can revolutionize the inspection process, making it more efficient, reliable, and more cost effective than ever. Here are five key points to consider when setting up a digital inspection process.
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Interview: 2-in-1 Inspection Solution for LPS and rotor blades
Marc HoffmannGet to know the new 2-in-1 Inspection Solution for LPS and rotor blades! Sulzer Schmid and Enertrag Betrieb have teamed up to provide a new autonomous inspection method based on our drone technology that will save owners and operators time and money. Watch the Interview to learn more.
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Sulzer Schmid and ENERTRAG Betrieb launch a new drone-based lightning protection system testing solution
Tom SulzerZurich, Switzerland, 14 September 2021 – Sulzer Schmid, and ENERTRAG Betrieb have teamed up to provide a new wind turbine blade inspection solution that integrates ENERTRAG Betrieb’s innovative lightning protection systems (LPS) testing solution with Sulzer Schmid’s UAV technology and digital inspection platform. This key innovation will enable LPS testing to be carried out at the same time as rotor blade inspections, saving operators and owners time and money.
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Presenting at CLEANPOWER Virtual Summit
Anna-Karin RyanBorja Kaiser, Hub Manager at Sulzer Schmid in USA, recently had the opportunity to present a poster to an engaged audience at the Cleanpower Virtual Summit: “How autonomous drones, AI and Big Data Shape the Future of Blade O&M”. The poster explains how autonomous drones and artificial intelligence are changing the asset inspection world and more specifically what the long-term benefits are of data collection within the industry.
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Sulzer Schmid closes Series B round to drive its transition from tech start-up to major enterprise
Rea MeisingerSulzer Schmid, a Swiss company pioneering UAV technology for wind rotor blade inspections, announced today that it has completed a series B round. The company achieved significant growth in 2020, with the addition of six new countries to its portfolio. It carried out its largest ever inspection campaign covering 1,500 wind turbines for Vestas NCE. Further contracts have been signed this year to serve customers in more than 25 countries on four continents.
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Nominated for the Green Business Award: reducing CO2 emission and working towards an ecological future
Simone AemmerThe "Green Business Award" honours innovative Swiss companies that combine economic success with ecological impact. Doris Leuthard, jury president of the «Green Business Award» and former federal councillor is convinced: «Switzerland needs the Green Business Award because it provides incentives to strive for economic success in an ecological way».
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Sulzer Schmid receives support from Microsoft for Startups
Simone AemmerZurich-based Sulzer Schmid has developed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology and sophisticated data analytics platform used to produce high-quality inspection results for rotor blades. By joining Microsoft for Startups, the company receives support and mentorship to strengthen its offering on the market.
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Autonomous Drones in the Renewable Energy Sector
Simone AemmerCurious about the digitalization of the wind industry and autonomous drone inspections in particular? Watch our introduction to this interesting topic given during a Public Lecture Series held by the Digital Society Initiative at University of Zurich.
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Sulzer Schmid at the first international Industrial AI Applications Summit
Simone AemmerOn 24th- until 26th of March 2021 our AI Partner NNAISENSE hosts the first international Industrial AI Applications Summit. Of course, we don’t want to miss this! Tom Sulzer, CEO and Co-Founder of Sulzer Schmid and Asha Anoosheh, Research Scientist at NNAISENSE will give a joint presentation about our AI cooperation.
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Presenting at Blades Global 10-11 March
Anna-Karin RyanWe are thrilled to take part at the first digital Blades Global 2021, one of the absolute highlights in the blades community this year! Join us for our two sessions where Tom Sulzer, CEO and Co-founder, and Marc Hoffmann, Global Head of Sales & Marketing, will be sharing their view on the future of O&M and leading edge Erosion with a special focus on monitoring and deciding when to repair.
Uncategorized
Sulzer Schmid part of WindEnergy Success Stories 2020
Anna-Karin Ryan2020 was a year like no other. It provided us with both personal and professional challenges that we’ve never faced before. Wind Europe has recently launched a website presenting some of the success stories from 2020 and Sulzer Schmid was one of them.
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Sulzer Schmid featured in Energate article
Anna-Karin RyanThe energy sector is in transformation with new innovative technologies emerging by the day. Energate messenger, the Swiss news portal for the energy sector, has launched an article series covering some of the most interesting startup companies in this sector and Sulzer Schmid was recently featured.
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Countdown to Windpower Data and Digital Innovation Forum
Anna-Karin RyanAre you interested in learning how to harness the power of wind data analytics to uncover performance losses, reduce maintenance and increase revenue? The Windpower Data and Digital Innovation Forum is a highly specialised conference where the wind industry comes together to discuss the market opportunity of digital wind farm, digital innovation and technological challenges.
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Five questions to Rainer Broering, advisor to Sulzer Schmid
Anna-Karin RyanRainer Broering is a wind industry “Veteran” with numerous executive positions in the Onshore and Offshore Wind business. He started off his career at Enron Wind but moved on to General Electrics where he has held numerous executive positions for the last 17 years. He recently decided to engage with Sulzer Schmid as an advisor and we wanted to find out about what is driving him.
Blog
Autonomous drones herald a new era for blade inspections
Tom SulzerThe capacity for performing autonomous inspection is growing, drone technology itself is stable, battle tested, robust and scalable. With artificial intelligence and machine learning, drones are programmed to inspect wind turbines with consistency, repeatability, accuracy, and produce even better image quality. The benefits of this progress are reduced costs, reduced downtime ...
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New members of Women in Wind Energy
Anna-Karin RyanAt Sulzer Schmid we promote diversity, open career progression and inclusive working conditions that allow women in particular to combine both a family and a rewarding career. To further promote women in our industry, three of our colleagues recently joined the network Women in Wind Energy Germany ...