Categories
Coil Winder Projects

Roughing out coil winder

So Ross suggested a CAM lock that was better than what I was originally thinking. If the ABS flexing is not problematic I think it will work. I am less happy with the spring loaded spool. I wanted it to help provide tension in the system – but I think it looks like overkill.

Hmmm, I think I am going to add the mount points and start building. Just build the carriage last after I have thought about it some more.

Categories
Coil Winder

Making a Coil winder

So I need to make a bunch of custom wrapped magnets as part of building a batch of eletro-permanent magnetic actuators. So far all my prototypes have been hand wound – which is just about as fun and time consuming as it sounds. So I decided to make a CNC coil winder. I am making not buying one as the decent ones are crazy expensive.

I roughed out a model for the frame, motor mounts, and sled this weekend. Over the holiday I am going to finish the sled, the tensioner, and bobbin support. If the design looks a bit weird I also designed all the parts so that they would print on a 3D printer that did not have a support material.

I am using roller skate bearings, springs, and some nuts and bolts – but the ideas is to keep everything else printed. I will probably just throw together a UI to drive it that talks to a micro-controller board. Either an Arduino or a UC3L. I have not decided yet.