Lead wool used in the manufacture of helicopter rotors, aircraft propellers and wind turbine blades.
Cambridge, MA March 13, 2014: Nuclead Inc. a leading supplier of lead products to all industries announces the recent delivery of several orders of lead wool to manufacturing customers in the aviation industry, throughout the world but in particular to customers in Florida, Texas and New Zealand.
Lead Wool consists of chemical grade lead drawn in long, fine strands, it is made by scratching fine strands from the surface of a lead disc. These strands are often twisted together into rope. This lead averages about 2-½ ft. to one pound. Traditionally, lead wool is used to seal flanged connections in, cast iron, cement and earthenware pipes or other similar applications where the ductile nature of the lead wool provides a good seal, also in radiation shielding applications where the lead wool is used to protect specific areas.
In the case of Helicopter rotor design, aircraft propellers and wind turbine blades, lead wool is used to provide ballast to the blades and to ensure that the blades are properly balanced. Premature wear and failures in rotating aircraft components, particularly in helicopters are a function of excessive vibration. Reducing these vibration levels increases safety and length of service. One major source of vibration can be poorly balanced rotor blades.
Lead wool is a good choice for ballast / balancing material as it flexible, easy to distribute inside to the rotors and will not move once installed. Lead wool can be added both as tip weights and as chord balance weights along the leading edge of the rotors. It is important that the ballast material be flexible, particularly in the case of helicopter rotors which are manufactured with a twist to ensure a proper “angle of attack” along the whole blade as it rotates through the air. Lead wool helps the blades to be both flexible and strong.
Lead wool is inserted into the rotors using a propeller balancing machine. Dynamic propeller balancing is the process whereby an electronic balance is used to measure the vibration produced by the aircraft power plant. Lead wool is used to produce small trim balance weights which are added to the propeller/crankshaft assembly to correct for errors in mass distribution and to reduce power plant vibration due to mass imbalance to the lowest level practical. Balancing machines can be integrated into a production line and loaded by a robot arm or gantry, requiring very little human control. If the rotor needs to be refurbished for any reason the lead wool can be easily flushed out of the blade using a water spray.
Nuclead supplies lead wool to aviation companies that offer initial manufacture as well full overhaul, repair and engineering support for propellers, helicopter rotors and wind turbine blades that are manufactured by some of the biggest names in the industry.
About Nuclead
Nuclead Mfg. Co Inc. is the leading worldwide supplier of innovative Shielding, and X-ray inspection products. With nearly 30 years in providing advanced Shielding & X-ray security systems, the Company’s product line utilizes a combination of technologies, and expertise unmatched by any other company.
These technologies offer superior service and products. Nuclead’s has a complete range of lead products including shielding for cargo inspection, baggage screening and passenger screening systems for facility and aviation security.
Nuclead also supplies products for the Nuclear & energy, Oil, Construction, Manufacturing, X-ray, medical & research, Elevator, Marine/boating, Bridge and Sporting industries.
Nuclead’s sophisticated products are used to protect high-threat facilities and help combat terrorism and trade fraud; Gamma ray, Neutron, & X-ray shielding; and counterweight – ballast- & weight requirements. Nuclead customers include Major Universities & Research centers, Leading government agencies, Military bases, General contractors, Manufactures, Hospitals and Corporations worldwide; including the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), and branches of the U.S. Military.
For more information on Nuclead’s products, services and technologies, please visit https://nuclead.com/or http://www.nucleadinc.com/.