Filament winding machines?

I didn't even know there was a small winding machine. Who makes it what, where do you buy one,...

I did my winding by hand, which is actually relaxing.

A guy I know was making his own fishing rods and had a machine to do the winding with. Same thing??

It's an entec composites pw series. I bought it from Georgia Tech.

http://www.entec.com/pw.html

You can make a lot more than tiller arms with this. I have seen them used to make composite over wrapped pressure tanks.

I have always ignored these type machines when I see them surplus. I assumed they would be more trouble than than I wanted to deal with. I would like to hear this works for you.

(FYI, I remember reading that one company debugs the winding using nylon)

Ya, it probably is more trouble than its worth. But I would like to figure out how to make at least something with it.

What kind of mandrels do you have with it?

None as far as I can tell, I have not picked it up yet. I figure I will have to turn something on the lathe to make one.

here is a link to it
http://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/auction/view?auc=758694

That looks like a good deal...but, that 480V 3Phase power is going to be tough at the house...do you have 480V somewhere accessible?

That thing looks like it can do a lot of stuff - tons of automation in it.

I have 3-phase, just gonna have to hook it up with a transformer. My dad has a 60kw generator capable of 480v to test it to make sure it powers up.

That's good...I was thinking last night that most of those servo and control components in that electrical cabinet are probably single phase and powered through a step-down transformer. A little re-wiring would probably make it work off single phase 110V or 220V. The only thing that might require 480v 3phase would be an induction motor - but I don't see one on there or the need for one in that machine.

Since that has some serious automation/programability, it should be possible to make things like a single piece, programmed, filament wound rudder head and arm in one piece.

Could you make the mandrels from one of the new 3D printers?

can you make a robot? a FEMALE robot?

She'd still shoot you down Jay

zing.

The only problem is that I have no idea how to program it. That's fonna require some learning!

errr...yeah. That's probably an understatement.

Point taken... must work on a program to combat that.

Maybe WOO 2.0

I got the machine picked up, turned out to be huge! The professor told me the computer needed to be rebuilt and a drive motor replaced. En-tec quoted the work at $70,000! Needless to say I will not be fixing it up.