ematec AG launches a new offering at WindEnergy 2026
The wind power industry is on the move worldwide, and this momentum is also being felt by ematec AG from Germany, one of the leading suppliers of rotor blade yokes for single-blade installation on wind turbines. With repowering projects set to increase significantly in future, ematec will arrive at WindEnergy 2026 in Hamburg with spectacular news. With immediate effect, ematec is offering its high-end RBC-D yokes not only for purchase but also for hire.
“This will make far more dismantling and installation projects more efficient and safer than before,” says ematec CTO Julian Eberhard.
High demand
With its new rental offering, ematec is responding to growing market demand. “We received several enquiries from service providers who wanted to use our high-safety technology for their wind power projects but did not want to take on the investment risk. With our ‘Rent a yoke’ service, we now offer them the ideal solution. They can carry out individual projects using the best technology available on the market without tying up capital,” explains Eberhard.
Major time-saving
For years, ematec’s RBC-D rotor blade yokes have been regarded as the benchmark for efficient and safe rotor blade installation. Using RBC-D technology, wind turbine manufacturers and their installation service providers can save up to three days of construction time per turbine, significantly reducing project costs.
One yoke for every blade
The major advantage: ematec’s RBC-D remains the only rotor blade yoke available on the market with an adaptive blade gripping system for all rotor blades. No matter how long or heavy the blades are – and regardless of manufacturer. “This makes rental particularly attractive, because service companies can operate worldwide, completely independently of blade type and manufacturer. That is only possible with our yokes. It brings an entirely new level of flexibility to the market,” says Eberhard. The RBC-D can handle the new blade generations used on high-output 7 MW turbines such as Enercon’s E-175 EP5 E2 or the Vensys 175 just as easily as previous and all future blade generations, with blade weights of up to 50 tonnes.
Training concept
ematec’s rental offering also includes a comprehensive training program. “Of course, we train the installation teams at our plant, and they can also rely on remote support for all projects,” says Eberhard. Germany’s largest wind turbine manufacturer, Enercon, and its service providers have benefited from this concept for many years. “Everyone involved praises the quality of the training and, in particular, the intuitive operation of the RBC-D.”
The new DPS Diagonal Pull Sensor
At WindEnergy 2026 in Hamburg, ematec will also unveil another safety feature that makes rotor blade installation projects even safer: the new ematec Diagonal Pull Sensor system (DPS). It is a two-axis side-pull sensor system for cranes that takes occupational safety during crane lifts to a whole new level. Thanks to wireless signal transmission with a range of up to 200 metres, the new unit can also be used during rotor blade installation.
Wireless connection
The ematec Side Pulling Sensor system consists of a sensor unit and a ground unit, both battery-powered and communicating wirelessly with each other by radio in real time. The graphical display uses a circular bubble level as well as numerical angle readings on the X and Y axes. Depending on the continent, ematec uses different radio frequencies, enabling the DPS system to be used without difficulty in the Americas and Asia. In addition to radio transmission, the system can transmit data via Wi-Fi to a tablet. Using the app’s clear and intuitive interface, users can zero the current readings on the tablet.
ematec has deliberately chosen to present its new product at WindEnergy 2026 in Hamburg because the innovation is also ideally suited to wind turbine installation processes.
Safe release of the grippers from the rotor blade
At the end of the rigging process, when the rotor blade is bolted to the hub, many crane operators apply a little pressure with the boom. “As a result, the boom is no longer positioned vertically above the rotor blade yoke, but is angled slightly towards the nacelle. However, when releasing the RBC-D from the rotor blade, the yoke must be positioned with its centre of gravity directly beneath the boom to prevent the RBC-D from swinging. With our DPS unit, crane operators can now see when the hook block is fully level again – and thus back at the centre of gravity – so they can safely detach the RBC-D from the rotor blade without any tension,” says Eberhard.
New blade turning device
Alongside the new DPS unit, ematec will once again present its innovative blade turning device for rotor blades at WindEnergy 2026 in Hamburg, a development that is revolutionising service and maintenance. ematec’s solution allows a rotor blade to be pitched around its longitudinal axis while on the ground. This enables the blades to be rotated continuously for repairs – in a neutral state, i.e. without tension. “This saves users millions of euros in service costs because, for the first time, most repairs can now be carried out directly at the wind turbine site – without enormous logistics effort,” explains Julian Eberhard.
RBC-D technology remains a major draw
This year, ematec’s innovative RBC-D technology will once again be one of the main attractions at WindEnergy 2026. ematec’s RBC-D yokes are in greater demand than ever. Enercon alone, Germany’s largest wind turbine manufacturer, has ordered more than 35 yokes from ematec over the past six years and already has the majority of them in use around the world.
Safe handling guaranteed
This is what makes ematec’s RBC-D technology so special: for safe rotor blade handling, the RBC-D always determines the exact centre of gravity individually. Two counterweights on the two yoke wings automatically adjust to the centre of gravity – with or without a rotor blade. This prevents uncontrolled movement even when the blade is released from the hub, which could damage the blade or disrupt the handling process.
Always at the centre of gravity
Thanks to the curved arch on the yoke, the RBC-D remains perfectly aligned with the centre of gravity even when tilted by up to ±30 degrees. The same applies when pitching the blade by up to ±8 degrees. This prevents uncontrolled movement of the unit when tilting or pitching. For the operator, this offers the major advantage that the rotor blades are always held securely, even if they are not rigged exactly at their centre of gravity. With other yokes, such a situation could result in uncontrolled movement. Because the Double version of the RBC-D is equipped with telescopic grippers not only at the bottom but also at the top, the rotor blades remain firmly clamped even at tilt angles of up to ±30 degrees, preventing them from slipping.
In combination with APS from Seasight Solutions
Enercon generally uses the combination of RBC-D and the autonomous positioning system (APS) from Seasight Solutions when installing rotor blades on its current wind turbines. This brings clear advantages to site workflows and considerable time savings. The key advantage is that guide ropes are not required during rotor blade installation. This also eliminates the need for ground-based winches, reducing the space required on construction sites. This is an enormous advantage, especially in elevated locations with forests and steep topography, and can determine whether projects are feasible at all. One example is an installation in the Black Forest. When the turbines at Taubenkopf near Freiburg were built, installation using RBC-D and APS was the only viable option due to the site’s topography. The installation team there had no other installation method available.
High wind speeds
In addition, rotor blades can be installed using the RBC-D-APS system at wind speeds of up to 10 m/s. Conventional methods have to stop at wind speeds of just 8 m/s. Depending on on-site conditions, it is possible to install up to three rotor blades per day. Installation service providers greatly appreciate this process reliability.
“I am really looking forward to WindEnergy 2026 in Hamburg, because I am convinced that not only the new products such as the Diagonal Pull Sensor, but above all our offering for the RBC-D will be very well received. The industry has been waiting for both,” explains ematec CEO Manfred Eberhard.
Author: Ingo Jensen
ematec AG
Am Ziegelstadel 3, 87766 Memmingerberg, Telefon 08331/9487-0, Telefax 08331/9487-740, info@ematec.de, www.ematec.de
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Ansprechpartner: Ingo Jensen