Systems and methods for manufacturing a hollow multi-blade rotor

A system for manufacturing a hollow multi-blade rotor, the system comprising:

• a manifold comprising an upper manifold section and a lower manifold section configured to couple to the upper manifold section, wherein:
• the upper manifold section comprises:
• a plurality of sealing ports that each comprise a sealing ring;
• and
• a pressure port fluidly coupled to each of the plurality of sealing ports and configured to direct air pressure from an external air pressure source to each of the plurality of sealing ports;
• the lower manifold section comprises a plurality of sealing port apertures, each sealing port aperture configured to accept one of the sealing ports of the upper manifold section;
• and
• a plurality of pressure pads configured to collectively form a center hub area of the hollow multi-blade rotor within a mold during manufacturing of the hollow multi-blade rotor, each pressure pad comprising:
• a hollow inner chamber configured to accept an inflatable bladder;
• and
• a hollow bladder extension that extends from a top surface of the pressure pad and is configured to contact a lower surface of the lower manifold section, wherein the bladder extension is configured to guide an unsealed end of the inflatable bladder up through a particular sealing port aperture of the lower manifold section, thereby enabling the unsealed end of the inflatable bladder to be sealed between the particular sealing port aperture and the sealing ring of a particular sealing port when the upper manifold section is coupled to the lower manifold section.