AUTOMATED MACHINING TOOL FOR REMOVING MATERIAL FROM A SURFACE OF A WIND TURBINE BLADE, AND METHOD OF PERFORMING A MACHINING OPERATION ON A WIND TURBINE BLADE

The present application relates to an automated machining tool (200) for removing material from a surface of a wind turbine blade (20). The tool (200) has a tool head (206) having electrically conductive material. When the tool (200) detects electrical contact between the electrically conductive material and an electrically conductive part (104) beneath a surface of the blade (20), while the machining tool (200) is performing a machining operation on the wind turbine blade (200) using the tool head (206), the tool (200) automatically retracts the tool head (206) away from the wind turbine blade (20).