Wire Spool Winding Control Using Dancer Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for winding wire on a spool often result in peaks and valleys due to spool core irregularities, flange geometry issues, and wire dispensing irregularities, leading to suboptimal winding quality and requiring costly sensor systems for correction.

Innovation Solution

A method utilizing synchronous electric motors, a pull control dancer, and sensors to maintain constant wire tension and adjust dispensing speed based on real-time spool position and wire diameter measurements, allowing for precise control of wire winding without extensive operator intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If speed sensors and complex control systems are used to detect and correct peaks and valleys, then winding quality can be improved, but system cost and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewinding qualityVSAvoidsensor system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the speed sensor from the system entirely, replacing it with a dancer wire mechanism that provides tension-based feedback. This removes the complex speed detection and correlation system while maintaining winding quality through direct mechanical feedback on wire tension and layer formation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The dancer wire acts as an intermediary mechanical element that translates wire tension and layer formation issues into positional feedback. This mechanical mediator replaces the need for electronic speed sensors and complex control algorithms, providing direct feedback on winding quality through the dancer's position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If multiple sensors and complex speed correlations are implemented, then peak and valley detection improves, but reliability decreases due to more control points of failure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepeak and valley detectionVSAvoidsystem reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

By removing speed sensors and the complex speed correlation control system, the patent eliminates multiple potential failure points. The simplified system with dancer wire feedback has fewer electronic components and control algorithms, thereby improving reliability while maintaining peak and valley detection capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The dancer wire system is self-regulating through mechanical feedback. It automatically responds to tension changes and layer formation issues without requiring complex electronic control, reducing the number of active control elements that could fail and improving system reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Manufacturing precision

If constant wire tension is maintained through complex speed adjustments, then winding quality improves, but operator workload and control complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewire tension consistencyVSAvoidoperator workload
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The dancer wire mechanism provides automatic, self-regulating tension control through mechanical feedback. The system self-adjusts to maintain constant wire tension without requiring operator intervention or complex control algorithms, thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining winding quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The dancer wire provides continuous mechanical feedback on wire tension and layer formation. This feedback loop automatically adjusts the winding process to maintain constant tension, eliminating the need for operator monitoring and complex control systems while improving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3126273B1Method for implementing a correct winding of a wire on a spool
Publication Date: 2019.07.10 SAMP SPA CON UNICO SOCIO
  • EP3126273B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

Method for implementing a correct winding of a wire on a spool (100). The method also comprises a step for calculating the angular speed of a motor (43) displacing the wire dispensing device (40) according to the wire winding step and according to the dancer error, detected by a position sensor (35) that provides an analogical signal with respect to a zero position and to a tolerance value, in order to determine the presence of a possible "valley error", or of a possible "peak error". In this method, if, during the spool winding, a "valley error" or a "peak error" is detected, the control device decides whether to slow down or to increase the speed of the wire dispensing device (40) with the aim of filling the depression or skipping the peak.