Braiding Machine Shuttle Carousel Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual braiding of multiple strands is labor-intensive and becomes prohibitively expensive as the number of strands increases, due to exponential complexity, making it difficult to efficiently produce braided products on a non-commercial scale.
Innovation Solution
A braiding machine with a set of spool shuttles that dispense flexible material under tension, featuring a drive arrangement and shuttle carousel system to automate the braiding process, along with terminators to secure and terminate the braided cords, allowing for efficient production of braided cords and jewelry items.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual braiding is used, then flexibility and control are maintained, but labor intensity and time consumption increase exponentially with the number of strands
Solution Approach 1:
The braiding machine divides the complex braiding process into separate functional modules: spool shuttles for strand delivery, a carousel mechanism for shuttle positioning, and a braiding zone where strands are interlaced. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall system flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The spool shuttles are designed to automatically dispense strands under tension as they pass through the braiding zone, eliminating the need for manual strand handling. The carousel automatically positions shuttles in the correct sequence, and the system maintains continuous braiding without human intervention during operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of strands is increased, then product complexity and functionality improve, but manual braiding becomes prohibitively expensive due to exponential complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The spool shuttles are designed as universal components that can accommodate different strand types, materials, and thicknesses. The same basic shuttle structure and carousel mechanism can braid anywhere from 3 to 20+ strands by simply changing the number of shuttles and their positioning, without requiring fundamentally different equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The carousel mechanism dynamically adjusts the positioning and timing of multiple spool shuttles based on the desired braid pattern. The system can accommodate varying numbers of strands and adjust the braiding sequence in real-time, allowing complex multi-strand patterns to be achieved through programmed shuttle movements rather than fixed mechanical configurations.
3Productivity
If automation is introduced to reduce labor intensity, then productivity increases, but device complexity and initial cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The carousel mechanism uses a circular arrangement of spool shuttles, which simplifies the automation of shuttle positioning and strand delivery. The rotational motion of the carousel provides smooth, continuous movement through the braiding zone, reducing mechanical complexity compared to linear or multi-axis positioning systems while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The spool shuttles act as intermediary components that bridge the spools and the braiding zone. Each shuttle carries one or more spools and automatically delivers strands to the braiding area in the correct sequence, simplifying the overall control system while enabling automated operation of multiple strands simultaneously.
4Productivity
If continuous braiding is maintained, then productivity increases, but strand tension control and product quality become more difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The spool shuttles are designed with tensioning mechanisms that apply counterbalancing forces to maintain uniform strand tension throughout the braiding process. As shuttles move through the carousel and deliver strands, the tensioning system compensates for variations in strand delivery speed and direction, ensuring consistent braid quality during continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates tension sensing and control mechanisms that monitor strand tension in real-time during braiding. When tension deviations are detected, the control system adjusts shuttle positioning, spool rotation speed, or tensioning forces to maintain uniform tension, ensuring consistent product quality throughout continuous production.
Data Source
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AI summary
In an aspect, a braiding machine (20) is provided, and has a set of spool shuttles (264) that each dispense a strand of flexible material (277) under tension. A strand retractor releasably retracts the strands from the spool shuttles (264). A plurality of shuttle stations (188) at which the spool shuttles (264) can be positioned are arranged in a circuit. At least one shuttle carriage (140), when driven, repeatedly selects an immediately previously unselected spool shuttle (264) and moves the immediately previously unselected spool shuttle (264) from an associated shuttle station (188) to another shuttle station (188) along the circuit spaced from the associated shuttle station (188) by at least one shuttle station (188) that is intermediate the associated shuttle station (188) and the other shuttle station (188). At least one spool shuttle (264) is parkable at the at least one shuttle station (188). A drive arrangement is coupled to the shuttle carriage (140) to drive the shuttle carriage (140).