WINDING MODULE AND WINDING INSTALLATION FOR METAL WIRES

Abstract

A winding module and a winding installation including winding modules for winding metal wire. In such a winding installation or take-up bench a driven capstan is used to pull the metal wire through a processing installation before being led onto a take-up spool. The spool is driven by a cantilever supported shaft. In prior art take-up benches, both the capstan and the spool is reachable by an operator from the same side. This means that the capstan direction—the direction from the driven side of the capstan to the operator side—is equal to the shaft direction—the direction from the drive side of the shaft to the open end of the shaft. In the inventive winding module the capstan direction is opposite to the shaft direction, which provides a completely different operation of the winding module and the winding installation and facilitates the introduction of doffing robots.

Claims

1. A winding module for winding metal wires on spools, said winding module comprising an elongated body and a first series of driven cantilever shafts for carrying spools, said shafts being present at a first side of said elongated body, said shafts having a supported driven end and a load end, defining a shaft direction from said driven end towards said load end, said winding module further comprising a first set of pull-through capstans for pulling the steel wire before winding on the spools, said first set of capstans being associated with said first series of shafts, said capstans having an operator side and a driven side, defining a capstan direction from said driven side towards said operator side, wherein said capstan direction is oriented opposite to said shaft direction.

2. The winding module of claim 1, wherein the number of shafts in said first series is equal to the number of capstans in said first set.

3. The winding module according to claim 1, wherein the number of shafts in said first series is one more than the number of capstans in said first set.

4. The winding module according to claim 1 wherein said winding module comprises a second series of shafts and a second set of capstans associated with said second series of shafts, wherein said second series of shafts and said second set of capstans are organised at the second side of said elongated body opposite of said first side and are oriented mirrored to said first series of shafts and said first set of capstans.

5. The winding module according to claim 1, wherein the number of shafts in said first series and/or said second series is two, three, four, up to and including twelve.

6. The winding module according to claim 1, wherein an operator platform is provided on top of said elongated body.

7. The winding module according to claim 6, further comprising wire guides, for guiding the metal wire towards the pull-through capstan associated with the wire, wherein said wire guides are mounted above said first and/or said second series of capstans reachable to an operator standing on said platform.

8. A winding installation comprising one, two or more modules according to claim 1, wherein said modules are placed in series, with their elongated bodies in one line.

9. The winding installation according to claim 8, further comprising a first gantry running along the length of said installation at the load side of said first series of shafts, said installation further comprising one or more robots running on said first gantry.

10. The winding installation according to claim 9, further comprising a second gantry running along the length of said installation at the load side of said second series of shafts, said installation further comprising one or more robots running on said second gantry.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES IN THE DRAWINGS

[0032] FIG. 1a shows a prior art winding installation in side view;

[0033] FIG. 1b shows a prior art winding installation from the end, as seen in the length direction of the winding installation;

[0034] FIG. 2a shows the inventive winding installation from the end, as seen in the length direction of the winding installation;

[0035] FIG. 2b shows the inventive module from the side.

[0036] In the drawings, like unit and ten digits refer to equal items—if present—across drawings. The hundred digit refers to the figure number.

MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0037] FIG. 1a shows a simplified drawing of a prior art winding installation 100 as seen from the working side of the operator. FIG. 1b shows the prior art winding installation as seen from the end of the installation. The drawings show an elongated body 103 on which a first series of shafts 102, 102a, 102b, 102c, . . . are provided at a first side of the installation. The shafts carry spools 106, 106a, 106b, 106c, . . . in cantilever.

[0038] The shafts are driven by a motor 114 possibly situated at the end of the installation that mechanically drives all shafts from a single, central axis from the inside of the elongated body. Hence, the shafts have a supported, driven end and an unsupported load end. The shafts therefore have a shaft direction indicated with the arrow 122. Spools 106, 106a, 106b, 106c . . . can be slid over the respective shafts to receive wires 110, 110a, 110b . . . .

[0039] The wires 110, 110a, 110b, . . . are pulled towards the winding installation from previous process steps by a first set of pull through capstans 104, 104a, 104b . . . associated with the first series of shafts. Wire guides 108, 108a, 108b mounted at the higher level of the installation guide the wire to each respective capstan. Each pull through capstan is provided with a motor 116 at its driven side. All capstans of the first set share the same operator side. The operator is indicated ‘X’ with the contours of a person. The capstans have a capstan direction from the driven side to the operator side of the capstan that is indicated by the arrow 120.

[0040] The installation is mirrored at the other side of the elongated body with a second series of shafts 102′ and a second set of pull through capstans 104′f.

[0041] In the prior art installations the shaft direction 122 and the capstan direction 120 inevitable point in the same direction namely towards the operator ‘X’. Indeed, the operator ‘X’ must at any time be able to reach as well the capstan 104 as the spool 106 in order to be able to lead the wire from the capstan 104 towards the spool 106 during doffing.

[0042] FIG. 2a shows the inventive winding installation as seen from the end of the module. FIG. 2b shows a single module 200 as seen from the side of the shafts, without the doffing robot being present. As in the prior art the winding module 200 is based on an elongated body 203. At one side of the elongated body 203 a first series of shafts 202, 202a, 202b is mounted. The shafts are mounted cantilever, and the supported side is driven by a motor 214. The unsupported end is the load end. It is preferred that each shaft is driven by an individual motor 214 in order to ease the automation with the doffing robot. In this way a shaft direction indicated by the arrow 222 is defined. On the shafts spools 206, 206a, 206b′ can be mounted.

[0043] Above the elongated body a first set of pull through capstans 204, 204a, 204b is mounted on a frame connected to the elongated body 203. The first set of capstans is associated, is spatially positioned to co-operate with the first series of shafts 202, 202a, 202b. Each of the pull through capstans is provided with a drive motor 216, 216a, 216b that directly drives the capstan from the driven side. The capstan is freely reachable by the operator from the operator side. This defines the capstan direction indicated by the arrow 220 that points from the driven side towards the operator side.

[0044] Contrary to the prior art the capstan direction 220 is oriented opposite to the shaft direction 222 in the inventive winding module.

[0045] The number of shafts in the first series is equal to the number of capstans in the first set. One pull-through capstan can be easily removed resulting an end winding module that then is provided with a spare shaft. This in order to enable doffing. Also a middle module can be provided with an extra shaft by removal of a capstan.

[0046] The winding module can further be provided with diverting wheels such as 230, 230a, 230b and guiding wheels 232, 232a, 232b that serve to lead the wire in a back-and-forth movement over the width of the spool 206, 206a, 206b.

[0047] By preference the winding module is mirror symmetrically extended with a second series of shafts 202′ and a second set of pull-through capstans 204′ at the opposite side of the elongated body. Of course the orientation of the capstan direction 220′ and shaft direction 222′ are reversed with respect to the first series of shafts' direction and first set of pull-through capstans' direction. In the depicted embodiment the winding module comprises three shafts at either side of elongated body. So in total six spools can be wound on this module.

[0048] The winding module is further provided with a platform 240 on top of the elongated body that extends over the complete length of the winding module that can be extended over the complete length of the winding installation. The operator ‘X’ can freely walk along the length of the winding module or installation.

[0049] The winding module is further provided with wire guides 208, 208a, 208b consisting of several individual pulleys mounted on the same axle. The wire guides 208, 208′ of both sides are mounted within easy reach of the operator. The wire guides 208, 208′ guide the different wires to their respective pull-through capstan on each side of the winding module. As there are many wires that need to be led to their respective capstans, the number of pulleys on the wire guides can be large (more than ten, even more than 30)

[0050] By putting several—for example ten or twenty—winding modules one after the other in one line, a winding installation is formed having more than ten, more then twenty or even more than forty shafts available for winding metal wire on. The platforms then form a long aisle with the different capstans on either side of it. Side ramps are provided that prevent the operator from reaching to the shaft side of the installation. It will be clear from the above that the operator cannot longer reach the load side of the shafts as this would imply that he would have to cross the wire field.

[0051] The doffing operation is then performed by one or more doffing robots 250. The robot 250 runs on a gantry 252 on wheels 254. The gantry 252 consists of two long I-beam profiles that are aligned along the complete length of the installation on which the wheels of the robot run. The robot 250 hangs from the gantry 252 which leaves sufficient space between the bottom of the robot and the floor to enable a transport vehicle (not shown) to place an empty spool on the spare shaft and to remove a full spool from the shaft following.

[0052] The robot moves stepwise along the gantry, stopping at each shaft to perform the steps of: [0053] Gripping while holding taut the wire coming from the capstan; [0054] Cutting the wire between the full spool and the gripper; [0055] Guiding the wire to the empty spool; [0056] Fixing the wire end to the empty spool core.

[0057] If a spare shaft is available close to the middle of the winding installation, two robots can do simultaneously half of the total number of shafts. This further reduces the doffing time.

[0058] The same can be provided at the opposite side of the gantry, where one or more robots 250′ of opposite handedness perform the same tasks in a mirror like fashion.