R& D and Prototypes

In-House Prototype (for IIITG Only)

Low-Cost Automatic Wire-Cutting and Striping Machine

Title: Low-Cost Automatic Wire-Cutting and Striping Machine (Sponsored by TEQIP-III, Government of India)

Team Members: Mr. Arup Borah (Junior Technical Superintendent, Department of ECE, IIIT Guwahati) and Dr. Babita Jajodia (Assistant Professor, Department of ECE, IIIT Guwahati)

Reason to Develop Prototype: Wire-Cutting and Striping Machine will be deployed in our B.Tech Laboratory Classes for easy-handling and efficient management of lab sessions

Motivation: Electrical connections are made using wires in a wide variety of electronics products, industrial equipment, switchboards, etc. For production purposes, several products and machines require wires of specific sizes. Here we design an automatic wire cutting and stripping machine for instant wire cutting and stripping. Our Electronics hardware experiments in different labs of various semesters need a large number of jumper wires. The goal of this product is to fulfill the above needs at the lowest possible cost.

Highlights:

• Selection of different wire diameters

• Long-run operation is supported by automatic cooling

• Option for making patch wires with or without strips

• Choice of various (long/short) wire-lengths

• Power consumption is less than 10 Watt

• User-friendly interface for easy operation

Professional Design of the Product: This product is designed to fit in small spaces and for long-term use with automatic on/off temperature control. This product consumes a very small amount of electricity, which makes it a cost-effective choice for educational and professional purposes. A compact design and lightweight ensure the portability of the product.

• Accuracy: The length of wire provided by the product is nearly the same as that selected by the user. Heavy-duty stepper motors with 1.8 degrees step angle and 200 steps/revolutions are used for accurate length measurement, both for cutting and stripping, and programmed to provide smooth running during the process.

• User-Friendly Interfacing: This product has an easy-to-use user interface with a 20 x 40 LCD display with multiple selection buttons. The interfacing panel displays all the instructions for cutting and stripping the wire as required by the user. A panel with multiple buttons provides different input values as well as various functions.

Operation Manual:

• Arduino-based programming to provide flexibility for future updates

• Heavy-duty stepper motor ensures accurate measurement of the wire lengths

• Rubber wheel assembly to provide smooth feeding of wires of different diameters

• Detachable wire feeder module enables customization of setup based on wire diameter

• Separate Forward/Reverse feeding buttons simplify the process of inserting and assembling the cutting wires

• With an additional roller section and feeder assembly, bend wire can be fed into the cutter after being straightened by the roller

• Circular wire diameter holder holds the bundle of wires and allows it to pass through the roller section and to the feeder for cutting

• LED indicators are mounted to indicate various functions:

  • • Red LED indicates that 220 V input has been switched on, but that the device is not yet operating

    • A blinking red LED indicates a wire is not attached to the feeder

    • Green LED blinks when the device is powered on

    • The green LED glows when errors occur while operating the device

• Wire Feeding/Assembly Illumination: A small window with illumination allows the user to inspect the length of wire before starting the automatic cutting process (or establishing the zero length)

• Upon completion of the instructed operation, the display displays a completion message to let the user know the task is complete. Clicking the next button in the user interface panel allows the user to enter new parameters for the wires to be cut or to repeat the same measurements

• Automatic Temperature Cooling: The setup is designed to provide a long duty cycle in a single pass. The general practice is that the electronic components become heated after long periods of continuous operation. Temperature monitoring equipment is installed to monitor the temperature of parts or components that are sensitive to high temperatures. Once the system detects a high temperature in any of the components, it automatically turns on the high-speed cooling fan to quickly lower the temperature so no components or parts get damaged or malfunction due to the high temperature

• The setup is designed to produce as little noise as possible by using sound-absorbing materials inside a confined box

Steps to Follow for Operating Prototype (to automate the cutting and striping of wires):

• Connect the power cable to a 220 V power socket

• Make sure the RED LED at the top is lit

• Slide the switch to power on the device

• Check the status of the blinking green LED

• The display will show the introductory message as well as blinking Green LED as the device is initialized

• The device will become be ready for operation within 10-15 seconds

• Now the device shows the different settings/functions required to set up automatic wire cutting

• Place the wire (in the appropriate hole on the circular holder) in the roller section, then in the feeder unit

• Once the wire is placed inside the roller section, press the forward/reverse button (located on the front panel of the device) to pass it to the feeder section

• The fourth red LED on the front panel blinks until the wire is inserted into the feeder section

• Once the wire is successfully inserted into the feeder section, the RED blinking LED will stop blinking and the illumination at the feeder section window will begin

• Mark the "0" (zero) position on the front panel by using the Forward/Reverse button

• Cut the wire manually by pushing the "*" (star) button on the top panel (below the LCD)

• The device is now ready for automated cutting and stripping

• Choose the next menu option by clicking the “NEXT” button

• Select a length for cutting the patch wire (say 50 mm) from the “NEXT” menu

• By pressing the "^" (up) marked button 50 times, you can get the 50 mm length or by pressing the "*" (star) marked button, you can select between 1 and 10 units. Choosing 10 units and pressing the "*" (up) button five times will get you 50 mm

• Next, click on the "NEXT" button

• Select the strip length by pressing the "^" marked button. You need to select unit 1 for 5 mm strip length and press the "^" button five times

• Similarly, press the "NEXT" button and select the number of patch wires to be automatically cut and stripped

• The "NEXT" button will show the set parameter to be operated

• After the parameters have been set, click "NEXT" to begin the cutting and stripping process

• The display will show COMPLETED after the required number of patch wires have been cut and stripped

• To return to the main menu, press the "NEXT" button

• After every completed task, you can repeat the same operation by pressing "NEXT" for four times

Precautionary Measures:

• When an operation is running, avoid power cuts. As the setup lacks secondary memory, in the event of a power outage the device will revert to its default settings

• Don't hold the wire using your hand during the process and make sure the wire doesn't get stuck somewhere during the process

• As long as the predefined temperature is met, the cooling fan will automatically turn on and off, eliminating the need to manually control it

• Ensure that the wire inside the feeder unit is in the proper position before initiating the automatic cutting operation. The wire (to be cut) should be placed properly inside the feeder and the "0" (zero) length of the wire should be marked and cut