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Automatic Coil Winding Machine

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 Automatic Coil Winding Machine
Sundar Ganesh CCS*, Minu S*, Niveta R*, Nivethitha AC*,
Padmini R*, Gokul Krishna K*, Joe Breslin J*
Abstract
The article deals with the design of a fully automated coil winding machine
for stator winding of a motor used in submersible pumps. The
conventional coil winding machine winds copper wire onto a former
(winding fixture). The former is attached to the sliding arm which is
actuated manually. However this machine usually has material tension
limitations, operator intervention and low productivity and as motors are
the basic need for all operation requiring automation, the stator winding
becomes the growing and essential process in automation solutions.

The machine winds the coil within the slots of the former. The length of
the former is 9.2 cm. The number of slots and windings per slot are
customized. The winding is done by suitable methodology using various
components. The three phase geared induction motor actuates the
rotation of sliding arm with suitable belt and pulley arrangement.
Proximity sensor is used to count the number of turns of the sliding arm.
The machine winds the coil of 110 turns per minute at 120 rpm.

Shifter assembly consists of series of nylon pulleys to maintain tension and

linear alignment. The ball screw mechanism is used for precise slot
shifting, and it is driven by stepper motor. The machine is controlled by
the PIC16F877A microcontroller. The required number of turns and slots is
given as input through a keypad which is displayed in a LCD. After the
process is over, it is notified through a buzzer. The approximate cost of the
developed machine is reduced very much.

Keywords: Braking, PIC Microcontroller, Stepper motor, Winding coil

automation.

Introduction
A winding machine winds a material such as coil winding, rope winding, and continuous
metal wire, thread, or paper, onto a core, filament winding.
spool, or bobbin. There are several different
types of winding machines, from simple Many industries use these devices, including
manual feed machines to complex computer- textile, electronics, and wire industries. A
numeric-control (CNC) machines. Some of the manual winding machine usually has a core
more common uses for winding machines are on a spindle and the user feeds wire, rope, or
other material onto the core.
*
Department of Robotics and Automation, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, Tanilnadu, India.
Correspondence to: Mr. Sundar Ganesh CCS, Assistant Professor, Department of Robotics and Automation,
PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India.
E-mail Id: sundarganeshsankaran@rediffmail.com

© ADR Journals 2016. All Rights Reserved.

Ganesh SCCS et al.
The user controls the spindle speed and feeds
the material through user hand, guiding it to
control the tension and load pattern. These
simple machines may be of a bench-top size
or large stand-alone winder.
An automated system ultimately aims to
reduce man power and laborious
monotonous task. Likewise, in this project the
target is to develop one such intelligent
automated system to outdo manual coil
winding process. A winding machine is a
machine for winding string, twine, cord,
thread, yarn, rope, wire, ribbon, tape, etc.
onto a spool, bobbin, etc. A circular bar
facilitates greater speed, while a square bar
provides a greater potential for torque.
Winders have a center roll (a bobbin, spool,
reel, belt-winding shell, etc.) on which the
material is wound up. The winding method
used in the motor of submersible pumps
differs from rest. Automatic coil winding
machine winds the coil on the slots given in
the former. The speed and the number of
windings per slot are customized. The
winding is done by suitable methodology
using various components. The fabrication of
coil winding machine is done using PIC
controller, AC induction motor is used as the
main motor and stepper motor for slot
shifting. Pulleys are used for maintaining
constant tension.
Figure 1.Block Diagram of the System
J. Adv. Res. Electri. Engi. Tech. 2016; 3(2)
A tutorial overview of induction motors
signature analysis as a medium for fault
detection [1]. The article describes the
process affords the high strength to weight
ratio laminates and provides a high degree of
control over uniformity and fibre orientation
[2]. The stretchability performance can be
evaluated by the failure strain of the
embedded routing and the strain applied to
the elastomeric substrate [3]. The different
parameters required for the selection of
induction motor are presented in systematic
manner [4]. The idea of automation in coil
winding machine at minimum manufacturing
cost also in increases productivity of
automated machine. [5] We introduce a
technology of electrical engineering
transformer coil, from multi-speed Machines
medium, large and extra-large Machines, in
various types and categories of Machines [6].
Block Diagram
The block diagram depicts the structural
system of the automatic coil winding
machine. It also gives the clear view of the
components used in the project as shown in
the Fig 1. The system of interfacing is also
clearly brought into picture. In Fig 1 the
microcontroller acts as the controlling
element.
2
J. Adv. Res. Electri. Engi. Tech. 2016; 3(2)
This system is used for forming stator coil for
motors of the submersible pumps. When the
machine is activated, required number of
turns and slots are given as input through a
keypad which is displayed in the LCD. The
induction motor starts rotating and after the
proximity sensor count reaches the defined
count value, the induction motor is stopped
by dynamic braking. After the induction
Figure 2.Diagram of the Automated System
Shifter assembly consists of series of nylon
pulleys to maintain tension and linear
alignment. Nylon material is used because it
reduces surface friction and it does not
damage the wire at high rpm. Tension unit is
used to maintain tension in the wire
throughout the process and this makes the
rigid coiling of wire in the former. Using
potentiometer we can vary the on time of the
dynamic braking circuit depending on the
inertia of the rotating arm. Slot center to
center distance can be varied using key
board.
Devices Used
The input devices used in this system are
keypad and proximity sensor, keypad is used
for feeding the machine number of slots,
number of turns, width of the slot, and also
for start, stop and reset of the operation.
Proximity sensor is used to count the number
of turns the arm rotated.
3
Ganesh SCCS et al.
motor speed reaches zero, the stepper motor
drives the ball screw which is coupled with
shifter assembly plate. It shifts the winding to
the next slot and the process continues until
all the slots are completed with the
predefined sequence. After the process is
over, it is notified through a buzzer. Fig 2
shows the block diagram of the automated
system.
A push button is a simple switch mechanism
for controlling some aspects of a machine or
process. They are typically made out of hard
material usually plastic or metal. In this
project pressing the push button enters the
delay time for the stepper motor to start, the
counting time of the proximity sensor and the
braking time of the induction motor.
Inductive proximity sensors are used for non
contact detection of metallic objects. Their
operating principle is based on a coil and
oscillator that creates an electromagnetic
field in the close surroundings of the sensing
surface. In this project, it is used to count the
number of turns which is fed as input through
the LCD. Fig 4 shows the isometric view of
inductive proximity sensor.
The stepper motor used here was selected on
the basis of number of steps per revolution,
its full step operation and the load torque
required to drive the ball screw.
Ganesh SCCS et al.
Table 1.Specifications of Stepper Motor
Parameter
Torque
Step angle
Power
Steps per revolution
Table 1 gives the specifications of the stepper
motor used. Thus the selection of motor for
both arm and the slot shifter assembly has
been selected. They can now operate at a
constant speed.
Software Design
The total number of input devices is four and
the number of output devices is three. The
user enters the requirement of number of
slots, number of turns per slot, the time
taken for breaking and the inter distance
between the slots. The values are stored in
the register in the name of ‘m’, ’n’
respectively. When the desired values are
entered the contractor for the main AC
motor is actuated. Then the controller
increments the value of count when the
inductive proximity sensor detects it. It
against checks the value of count whether it
has reached the maximum specified value of
‘n’. It again checks for the slot number.
The main motor stop is induced by dynamic
braking. Based on the given value of distance
between the slots the stepper motor to drive
the ball screw is actuated. It is moved to the
next slot and starts winding. It starts to wind
the coil again when the maximum turns is
reached it checks in which slot it is winding
and the process is repeated. If it is in the last
slot the process ends.
MPLAB IDE is a software program that is used
to develop applications for Microchip
microcontrollers and digital signal controllers.
By using MPLAB IDE, all the functions are
integrated, allowing the engineer to
concentrate on completing the application
without the interruption of separate tools
J. Adv. Res. Electri. Engi. Tech. 2016; 3(2)
Value
1 kg-cm
1.8°
12V, 1A/ phase
200 steps per revolution
and different modes of operation. After the
application has been debugged and is running
in the development environment, it needs to
be tested on its own. A device can be
programmed with an in-circuit emulator, an
in-circuit debugger, a development
programmer, or a device programmer.
MPLAB IDE can be set to the programmer
function, and the part can be “burned”. The
target application can now be observed in its
nearly final state.
Microcontroller Programming
The program consists of two header files one
is for the LCD display and the other is for the
ADC. It also includes the use of four functions
which are used as input. They are the number
of slots to be wound, the maximum number
of turns count to be detected by the
inductive proximity sensor, the delay time for
stepper motor and the braking of induction
motor. As a further scope the option for
automatic or manual operation is also added.
The functions for the relay and the options to
set, reset, increment and decrement are
already set.
Five unsigned integer variables are used to
set the number of slots, number of turns per
slot, the timing for the stepper motor and the
pulses for them. An external interrupt has
been used to control the timer. Every C
program consists of a main function from
where the execution begins [6]. In this project
the main function consists of commands to
activate the ports in a sequence. Then the
LCD is programmed to display the title of this
project. Then it tells the user to enter the
desired input.Fig3 gives the overall circuit
diagram of the system.
4
J. Adv. Res. Electri. Engi. Tech. 2016; 3(2) Ganesh SCCS et al.

Figure 3.Overall Circuit Diagram

The function which is used to set pulse Mechanical Drives

checks for the timing entered by the user and
directs the motor to rotate in the forward or Mechanical drives are used to mechanically
reverse direction. The sequence for operation link two or more rotating shafts, most often
of motor in forward direction is 5, 9, A and 6 parallel. They may be used as a source of
given in its binary form. For the reverse motion, to transmit power efficiently or to
direction it is 6, A, 9 and 5. The set slot track relative movement.
function checks for the completion of
It is simple, inexpensive and does not require
required number of slots and the required
axially aligned shafts. It helps protect the
number of turns per slot. The stepper motor
machinery from overload and jam and damps
rotates in the forward direction until the set
and isolate noise and vibration. Here a gear
number of slots are less than or equal to the
box is attached to the shaft of the induction
stepper motor timing. It rotates in the
motor in order to reduce its speed and a ball
reverse direction until the required number
screw to provide movement to the slot
of turns is greater than the product of count
shifter assembly.
and the stepper motor time. The direction of
rotation of the motor is displayed through
the LCD.

5
Ganesh SCCS et al.
Worm Gear Box
Worm gears are special gears that resemble
screws, and can be used to drive spur gears
or helical gears as shown in Fig 2 Worm
gears, like helical gears, allow two non-
intersecting 'skew' shafts to mesh. The two
shafts are at right angles to each other. A
worm gear is equivalent to a V-type screw
thread. Worm gears are normally used when
Table 2.Specifications of Worm Gear Box
Parameters
Gear box ratio
Input hp
Output torque in kgf cm
Table 2 gives the specifications of a ball
screw. Figure 4 shows the isometric view of a
Figure 4.Worm Gear Box
Ball Screw
A ball screw is a mechanical linear actuator
that translates rotational motion to linear
motion with little friction. A threaded shaft
provides a helical raceway for ball bearing
which acts as a precision screw. As well as
Table 3.Specifications of Ball Screw
Parameter
Diameter (mm)
Pitch
Length (mm)
Table 3 shows the specifications of the ball
J. Adv. Res. Electri. Engi. Tech. 2016; 3(2)
a high gear ratio is desired, or again when the
shafts are perpendicular to each other. One
very important feature of worm gear meshes
that is often of use is their irreversibility:
when a worm gear is turned, the meshing
spur gear will turn, but turning the spur gear
will not turn the worm gear. The resulting
mesh is 'self locking', and is useful in
racheting mechanisms.
Values
24:1
1
6
worm gear box.
being able to apply or withstand high thrust
loads they can do so with minimal internal
friction. They are made to close tolerances
and are therefore suitable for use in
situations in which high precision is
necessary.
Values
16
5
400
screw used. Fig 5 shows the front view of the
screw rod.
6
J. Adv. Res. Electri. Engi. Tech. 2016; 3(2)
Figure 5.Ball Screw
Thus the slot shifter assembly rotation has
been characterized using a ball screw. They
require accessories that can be used for
mounting, locknuts, stoppers and lubrication.
The specifications are standardized as per
International Organization for
Standardization (ISO).
Results
Testing and quality control is an integral part
of any manufacturing process. A good testing
program should allow for efficient production
and identification of defective coils. Typically,
the sooner that defect are identified, the less
time and production effort is wasted. Testing
the machine and analysis of the result plays a
significant role in this project. The ideal speed
for running the machine is chosen using trial
and error methodology. Various parameters
should be taken into consideration when
analyzing the process at a particular speed.
One need to make sure that the quality of the
wire that is wounded must not be degraded.
The problems faced during the testing are:
• Expansion of wire due to increased
tension.
• Insulation damage due to friction and
heat generated in pulley.
• Wire was unable to trace the given path
in the tension unit.
• Improper coupling of motor with the
former and gear box.
• Improper counting of number of
windings.
7
Ganesh SCCS et al.
Various parameters are verified using
different processes. The major tests are run
to check the quality of wire wound.
Stress Elongation Test
The diameter of the coil to be wound is noted
and the coil is wound on the former. During
the process of winding, for every 50mm the
diameter is measured to assure that there is
no elongation and the insulation is intact.
This also implies that when there is less
friction heat generated is less [10]. So the
probability of it elongating is negligible and at
120 rpm elongation is not observed.
Speed Analysis
To find the ideal speed for running the
machine, the AC motor is made to run in
various speeds. At different speeds the time
taken for winding 20 turns in the former is
noted down and also the elongation of the
wire, the friction developed and the heat
generated were observed. Based on
observations 120 rpm is noted as ideal speed
for winding. It has the ability of winding 20
turns in 16 seconds. Very minimal heat is
developed in the coil. Elongation does not
occur. When we move towards higher rpm
friction is more because of heat generated.
This in turn causes elongation. In the lower
rpm it is approximately similar to manual
winding. It is not optimum to produce very
low amount of windings in given time. Hence
120 rpm is chosen. Table 4 lists the outcomes
at various speeds.
Ganesh SCCS et al.
Table 4.Comparison at Different Speeds of Motor
Speed Advantage
(rpm)
60 No damage in the coil Very Process becomes very slow
little friction was developed
80 No elongation in coil Process seems comparatively
120 The properties of the coil was
not altered
150 Number of windings produced
in given time increased
200 High speed winding
Insulation Test
In the insulation test, the insulator
surrounding the coil is checked. This is a
major concern about the quality as it is for
motors of submersible pump. If it is not
completely insulated it causes damage to the
motor. It is checked by passing through two
pulleys that are kept in perpendicular to each
other and the coil passing through it forms an
‘S’ shape. Both the horizontal and vertical
surface is checked. It is the most cheap and
widely used methods for checking the
insulation. The pulleys are made up of
conductive material which conducts current
and produces a beep sound whenever
damage in the insulation is found. Then the
damaged part is cut and the process
continues. This ensures the quality of the coil
that is wound on the former.
Solutions for the Problems during
Testing
In trial run of the machine the various above
stated problems were faced. When the wire
jumped out of the pulley at 120 rpm, it was
sorted by placing a rod just above the pulley.
It is attached to the body of the machine. At
higher speed whenever the coil tries to pop
out the rod attached to the body prevents it
from diverting its path.
The improper counting of the turns was
because of uncertainty in proximity detecting
the head of the former. This is solved by
J. Adv. Res. Electri. Engi. Tech. 2016; 3(2)
Drawbacks Time taken for 20
windings (seconds)
24
18
faster yet slower
- 16
Insulation damage 14
Elongation of coil 10
nailing a nail at the centre of the arm of the
former which ensures the proper counting of
the number of turns and the inductive
proximity switch is aligned with the nail at
the centre of the arm which supports the
former.
When the motor’s speed is reduced using
gear box to 60 rpm it was found to be very
slow and hence it was increased to 120 rpm
using pulley connected to the motor and the
gear box in the ratio 1:2 respectively.
Analysis
The coil is wound with no damage at 120rpm.
And the time taken for winding 20 turns per
slot requires a time of 16 seconds, where as
in manual method of winding it requires 4
minutes. This saves time and labor cost, as
each labor is paid Rs. 10,000 per month.
Conclusion
The main objective of this machine is to
replace the manual labour and optimize the
process. The inference is that, this automated
system has increased the production and also
provided solution for lack of human labour
for such hectic jobs is compensated. In
general we need one worker for one machine
but by implementing this automation we
need one worker for four machines. The
labour requirement is reduced in the ratio of
1:4. It was found that the machine can wind
coils of 110 turns per minute at 120 rpm.
8
 J. Adv. Res. Electri. Engi. Tech. 2016; 3(2)
All mechanical and electronic components
such as induction motor, stepper motor, ball
screw, gear box and the microcontroller were
assembled and the machine was tested The
selection of the controller part took a long
time and ended up with the use of PIC
16F877A. It was programmed using MPLAB
IDE which is a free firmware for programming
PIC family microcontrollers. A better user
interface has been provided with a keypad
and a LCD display. A buzzer is provided for
intimating the worker that the process is
over. Based on the customer requirement the
number of turns per slot, number of slot can
be altered and depending upon the need the
former length can be changed .The unique
scope of this machine is that both manual
and automated process can be integrated in
the same machine.
The manual coil winding process is
automated for high reliability. This project,
Automatic coil winding machine, can operate
several times accurate than manual process.
Manual and automatic process can be put
into effect in the same machine by using
manual braking system. The speed of the
system can be customized by using Variable
Frequency Drive. The project can be
extended by using HMI accessibility with
additional features like memory allocation for
storing the details of the types of motors,
display of message from the controller if
something goes wrong or the process
View publication stats
Ganesh SCCS et al.
completion message and a finger print
scanner can be attached for data logging of
the labor's work.
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[4]. Mulik P, Kamble RK. Development of
Automatic Transformer Winding
Machine. International Journal of
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Automatic Transformer Winding
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