Coil Winding Around Components With Thin-Wire Tension Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in manufacturing coils for electronic cigarette transponders is the frequent breakage of thin wires during winding, leading to production stops and increased operational costs due to the need for expert intervention.
Innovation Solution
A method and machine are developed to manufacture coils around components at high speed with minimal wire breakage by using a winding machine with a support plate that can hold components in multiple orientations and a conveyor system with clamps to secure the components during winding and welding, ensuring efficient production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a very thin wire (50-200 μm diameter) is used to manufacture the helical antenna coil, then the transponder can be made compact and functional, but the wire has extremely low mechanical resistance and breaks easily during winding
Solution Approach 1:
The wire is fed through a tensioning device with a dancer roller before winding begins. This preliminary setup ensures the wire is properly tensioned and positioned, preventing breakage during the winding process by maintaining optimal mechanical conditions from the start
Solution Approach 2:
A tensioning device with a dancer roller is installed beforehand to compensate for wire tension variations. This cushioning mechanism absorbs mechanical stresses and prevents sudden breaks by maintaining constant, controlled tension on the thin wire throughout the winding operation
2Productivity
If the winding machine operates at high speed to increase productivity, then more components are produced per unit time, but the risk of wire breakage increases due to higher traction forces
Solution Approach 1:
The dancer roller acts as a feedback mechanism that continuously monitors and adjusts wire tension during high-speed winding. By providing real-time feedback on wire position and tension, the system maintains optimal conditions even at high production speeds, preventing breakage while maximizing productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The tensioning device dynamically adjusts wire tension parameters during operation. By changing the tension parameter in response to winding conditions, the system enables high-speed operation without exceeding the wire's mechanical limits, thus maintaining reliability at high productivity levels
3Reliability
If expert operators are called to restore wire continuity after breakage, then the wire can be reconnected, but production stops for several minutes and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tensioning device with dancer roller enables the winding system to self-regulate and maintain wire integrity without external intervention. The automated tension control prevents breakage and maintains continuous operation, eliminating the need for expert operators to restore continuity and preventing production stops
4Manufacturing precision
If clamps are used to secure components during winding and welding, then positioning precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping function is segmented into separate, modular clamps that can be independently positioned and adjusted. This segmentation allows precise positioning of components during winding and welding while keeping each clamp element simple and manageable, reducing overall system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Method and machine to manufacture a coil around a component of an article includes a main conveyor that moves along a working path and a carriage with a seat to house the component. Along the working path, the component is arranged in the seat of the carriage in an input station, and at a winding station, a wire having a diameter less than 500 μm is directly wound around the component for a winding time ranging from 50% to 70% of the total work cycle, to obtain the coil with a number of turns less than 50. A work cycle lasts from an initial instant, in which the carriage carrying the component without the coil reaches the winding station, to a final instant, in which the carriage carrying the component with the coil leaves the winding station.