The Challenge
Twisting Multiple Heavy Spools into One Consistent Feed Without Manual Intervention
The customer needed to consolidate copper wire feeds from multiple spools into a single, twisted feed line compatible with their existing coil winding process/recipe. Specific goals included:
- Automating twist of wires from up to ten 85‑lb spools simultaneously
- Delivering consistent feed into the Broomfield 400C coil winding machine
- Detecting and addressing wire breaks or runout in real time
- Ensuring continuous operation with ease of maintenance
MWES was chosen to design a deployment-ready system that could interface seamlessly with the customer’s existing winding setup—and deliver a reliable, programmable copper feed.
The Solution
Planetary Dial Twister with Servo‑Driven Controls & Capstan Feed
MWES engineered a custom planetary twister system linked to the coil winding machine. Key solution features included:
- Three rotary dials, each handling 10 spools simultaneously at 30 RPM
- Allen-Bradley Kinetix 5000 servo system drives each dial and main support shaft
- Capstan drive wheel controls wire tension and feed speed to the winding machine
- Broken or runout wire detection and spool braking for error handling
- Twist feed delivered at up to 60 ft/min with real-time troubleshooting
- PC and Control Panel interface storing hundreds of winding recipes
This turnkey planetary payout system streamlined wire twisting and delivery directly into the existing winding machine—eliminating manual spool swapping and improving feed consistency.
The Results
Seamless Continuous Feed at High Speed with Minimal Maintenance Overhead
The delivered solution provided measurable operational improvements and compatibility flexibility:
- Enabled continuous feed rate up to 60 ft/min with minimal spool downtime
- Handled heavy 85-lb wire spools without manual intervention or feed interruptions
- Improved troubleshooting via built-in detection and easy spool changeover
- Scalable winding recipe control enabled fast adaptation for different coil types
By integrating servo‑driven dial twisters with intelligent error recovery and programmable control, MWES delivered a robust, high‑speed feed solution that seamlessly integrated with customer processes and supported long-term production flexibility.
