This project was for a client who wanted a way to automate their method of winding fiber from spools into “skeins” or bundles of varying sizes.
They also wanted a way to create multiple skeins from the same spool of thread.
Using these functional requirements, I came up with a design that uses a spindle combined with a horizontally translating thread guide, allowing the spindle to complete a winding cycle, and then the thread guide is indexed horizontally, and the cycle repeats, allowing multiple “copies” to be produced.
The device is powered by an Arduino Mega, coordinating two stepper motors, with a keypad interface, jog controls for each motor, limit switches and a homing routine for the thread guide, and programmable cycle with two operational modes.
