System and method for assisting in the manufacture of a wind turbine blade shell

A method of manufacturing a composite part, in particular a part for a wind turbine blade, such as an aerodynamic shell part, wherein fibre mats are laid up in a mould part in a layup procedure by use of an automated fibre mat layup system, wherein the layup procedure comprises the steps of:

• a) delivering a supply of one or more fibre mats to the fibre mat layup system;
• b) laying up a first length of a fibre mat onto a surface of the mould along a first longitudinal part of the mould by moving the fibre mat layup system in a longitudinal direction of the mould;
• c) clamping a first part of the fibre mat with a first clamping device;
• d) cutting the fibre mat at a cutting position with a cutting device;
• e) laying up a second length of the fibre mat, while step d) is performed, by continuing to move the fibre mat layup system along the mould, while a buffer length arranged downstream of the first part of the fibre mat is being reduced, the buffer length for the fibre mat being provided by a buffer roller, the buffer roller being positioned downstream of a first drive roller, the first clamping device and the cutting device;
• and
• f) repeating steps a)-e) to define a plurality of laid out fibre mats defining the composite part.