An improved system for handling delicate linear media and in particular to a method and apparatus for winding delicate linear media such as superconducting wire or tape or optical fibers onto a spool. A combination of direct closed loop control and media routing design facilitates the handling of the delicate media without causing damage. The axial tension in the linear media may be closely controlled during winding by means of feedback control loop using tension measurements to control the rotation speeds of the wind-from and wind-to spools. Further, during winding, the delicate linear media is only exposed to large radius bends with no reverse bending. Finally, output devices and features, commercial or otherwise, made possible by delicate linear media handling are revealed. This includes advanced SC devices and features.

A cable winding machine for winding transposed cable from multiple serpentine subconductors such as in particular Roebel cable from such 2G HTS tape, without damaging the tape through edge-wise bending, comprises a conductor supply stage carrying subconductor supply spools to move the supply spools about a machine axis and maintain the supply spools in a common orientation as the subconductors unwind and move through the machine in a machine direction, and a cable forming stage after the conductor supply stage in the machine direction, arranged to bring together the subconductors and at which the subconductors interleave to form the transposed cable.

A system for bundling a plurality of high temperature superconductor tapes into a flexible cable, includes a first alignment device for receiving and guiding there through the plurality of high temperature superconductor tapes, each of the tapes arranged with a wide surface oriented at a first angle. There is a second alignment device for receiving and guiding there through the plurality of high temperature superconductor tapes, each of said tapes arranged with the wide surface oriented at a second angle. The first angle is transverse to the second angle and plastically deforms the tapes to impart a twist pitch in the tapes. There is a forming member spaced from the second alignment device for receiving the plurality of high temperature superconductor tapes with the imparted twist pitch and forming them into a bundle of high temperature superconductor tapes of the high temperature superconductor tapes with the imparted twist pitch.

Twisting device for electrical conductors has at least one twisting head that rotates about an axis of rotation and a clamping device. The twisting head is movable in the direction of its axis of rotation toward the clamping device and is mounted on a first, motorised length compensation carriage, while the clamping device is mounted on a travel compensation carriage that is movable towards the length compensation carriage parallel to the axis of rotation of the twisting head. After the conductors have been cut to size and transferred to the twisting head and the clamping device, they are placed under tension. Then, the twisting head is activated to rotate about an axis of rotation parallel to the conductors while simultaneously moving towards the clamping device. Simultaneously, the clamping device is subjected to a force directed away from the twisting head and the travel/force profile for the clamping device is evaluated.

A system for bundling a plurality of high temperature superconductor tapes into a flexible cable, includes a first alignment device for receiving and guiding there through the plurality of high temperature superconductor tapes, each of the tapes arranged with a wide surface oriented at a first angle. There is a second alignment device for receiving and guiding there through the plurality of high temperature superconductor tapes, each of said tapes arranged with the wide surface oriented at a second angle. The first angle is transverse to the second angle and plastically deforms the tapes to impart a twist pitch in the tapes. There is a forming member spaced from the second alignment device for receiving the plurality of high temperature superconductor tapes with the imparted twist pitch and forming them into a bundle of high temperature superconductor tapes of the high temperature superconductor tapes with the imparted twist pitch.