Post-modulation station and an associated method of manufacture of a wind turbine blade

A post-moulding station for performing at least one post-moulding operation on at least a section of a cured wind turbine blade shell of at least 40 metres length, the post-moulding station comprising:

• a first cradle to receive a first cured upwind blade shell transferred from a blade mould, wherein the first cured upwind blade shell has a leading edge and a trailing edge;
• a second cradle to receive at least a section of a second cured downwind blade shell transferred from a blade mould, wherein the second cured downwind blade shell has a leading edge and a trailing edge, said first cured upwind blade shell and said second cured downwind blade shell together substantially forming a wind turbine blade when the first cured upwind blade shell and the second cured downwind blade shell are assembled at their respective leading edges and trailing edges;
• wherein at least one post-moulding operation can be performed on at least one surface of said first cured upwind blade shell and said second cured downwind blade shell received in said first and second cradles,
• wherein at least one of said first and second cradles is a substantially open-framed structure to provide access to a supported surface of a corresponding one of the first cured upwind blade shell and the second cured downwind blade shell received therein, the at least one of said first and second cradles having a plurality of support members to support a surface of the corresponding one of the first cured upwind blade shell and the second cured downwind blade shell received therein, and
• wherein the post-moulding station further comprises a closing mechanism operable to move said first cradle relative to said second cradle to form a closed cradle where the first cradle and the second cradle are connected to one another by the closing mechanism, the closing mechanism being configured to align the leading edge of the first cured upwind blade shell with the leading edge of the second cured downwind blade shell and the trailing edge of the first cured upwind blade shell with the trailing edge of the second cured downwind blade shell.