Sometimes the best innovations start with a conversation
- like the one that sparked a cross-border breakthrough at Husum Wind four years ago between two companies with startup spirit. Each brought competenties to the table culminating in first field repair solutions in 2025 for loose blade root inserts
When CNC Onsite, a Danish mobile machining specialist, was looking for partners to develop its precision machining competence, the breakthrough came not in a lab or a boardroom, but on the exhibition floor at Husum Wind. Just a few stands away, Dutch rotor blade experts We4Ce were showcasing their blade root repair technology. The chance meeting quickly turned into a collaboration between the companies.
Four years on, CNC Onsite and We4Ce can celebrate the successful development and launch of a mobile blade root repair service – the first of its kind. Instead of transporting damaged rotor blades back to the manufacturer, operators can now have faulty inserts replaced directly at the wind farm. What once meant weeks of downtime, crane logistics, and high costs can now be resolved on-site in just a few weeks depending on the size of the job.
Husum Wind is the catalyst
For operators of older turbines, where blade replacement is rarely economical, the solution is a lifeline. By combining CNC Onsite’s precision mobile precision machine with We4Ce’s high-strength bushings, the companies deliver reliable, durable repairs that extend blade lifetimes and support renewable energy targets.
“The collaboration began thanks to Husum Wind in 2021,” says Søren Kellenberger, sales director and partner at CNC Onsite. “It shows the real value of industry events – not just for showcasing technology, but for building partnerships that make new solutions possible.”
The Re-FIT repair bushing service was filed for a patent in May 2024 by We4Ce, marking another milestone in a partnership that began by chance and grew into a first-to-market service now available for most rotor blade sizes, including offshore.
1,000 bushings replaced on first job in South Asia
Earlier this year, CNC Onsite together with We4Ce conducted the first on-site repair service in the field, teaching the wind turbine owner and its technicians how to remanufacture blade root inserts themselves using the two companies’ unique repair method. The successful project demonstrated the efficiency and precision of the on-site solution, proving it can restore even challenging blade root insert damage without the need to return the blades to the factory. Once the project is fully completed 1,000 bushings will have been replaced, ensuring continued and safe operation of the wind park.
The repair is carried out directly at the wind farm. After training from CNC Onsite and We4Ce, the customer’s own technicians can remove the damaged inserts with the precision machine and fit We4Ce’s new strong bushing in its place.
The benefits are clear. Instead of waiting months for replacements, operators get their turbines back in service quickly. Costs are also much lower – the repair can save around 60% compared to buying a new blade. On top of that, keeping blades in use for longer supports both the operators and the transition to more renewable energy. With CNC Onsite and We4Ce continuing their partnership, more projects are already on the horizon, giving customers a reliable, cost-saving tool they can use themselves to keep wind farms running at full power.
Read the technical details about the repair and the causes of loose bushings.
