Abstract:
A method for configuring a coil forming machine is provided. The method comprises receiving a 3D model of a production coil, generating a 3D model of the coil forming machine, and comparing the received 3D production coil model to the 3D model of the coil forming machine to obtain a comparison. The method also includes outputting a display of the comparison and adjusting the coil forming machine in response to the comparison.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The field of the invention relates generally to coil forming machines, and more particularly to methods and systems for use in configuring coil forming machines. At least some known industrial applications, such as motors, require the use of uniquely shaped coils. Known coils can vary widely, and different applications can require a near custom coil for use. 
         [0002]    Generally, to manufacture a custom coil, a trial and error approach is taken to reproduce and replicate a known model coil. Such an approach may be a time consuming and laborious task. Moreover, because of the nature of trial and error, many coils are utilized that cannot be used. As such, the cost of fabricating known coils may be expensive. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In one aspect, a method for configuring a coil forming machine is provided. The method comprises receiving a 3D model of a production coil, generating a 3D model of the coil forming machine, and comparing the received 3D production coil model to the 3D model of the coil forming machine to obtain a comparison. The method also includes outputting a display of the comparison and adjusting the coil forming machine in response to the comparison. 
         [0004]    In another aspect, a coil forming system is provided. The coil forming system includes a coil forming machine, a scanner, and a computer comprising a processor. The computer comprising a processor is configured to receive a 3D model of a production coil, receive a 3D model of a test coil, compare the received 3D production coil model to the received 3D test coil model to obtain a comparison, and output a display of the comparison. 
         [0005]    In an alternative aspect, one or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon is provided. The one or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to receive a 3D model of a production coil, generate a 3D model of the coil forming machine, compare the received 3D model to the generated 3D model of the coil forming machine to obtain a comparison, and output a display of the comparison. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of an exemplary known coil forming machine. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of exemplary coil bumpers used with the coil forming machine shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a coil securement assembly used with the coil forming machine shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of an exemplary computer-assisted design system that may be used with the coil forming machine shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart of an exemplary method that may be used to configure a coil forming machine, such as the coil forming machine shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is an illustration of an exemplary coil production model. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is an illustration of an exemplary model of a coil produced by the coil forming machine shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is an exemplary comparison of a model of coil bumpers and the coil production model shown in  FIG. 6 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  is an exemplary comparison of the coil production model shown in  FIG. 6  and the model of the coil shown in  FIG. 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of an exemplary known coil forming machine  10 . In the exemplary embodiment, coil forming machine  10  can produce coils or windings  12  for use in industrial applications (e.g. motors). In the exemplary embodiment, coil forming machine  10  includes coil bumpers  14  and a coil securement assembly  16 .  FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of exemplary coil bumpers  14  used with coil forming machine  10 , and  FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a coil securement assembly  16  used with coil forming machine  10 . Coil securement assembly  16  includes a coil end support surface  18 , a coil end press surface  20  and a coil end pin  22  for use in securing the ends of coil  12 . 
         [0016]    During manufacture, coil  12  is formed by inserting copper loops or bobbin in coil securement assembly  16  such that the loops are against coil bumpers  14 . Coil securement assembly  16  retains copper loops while coil bumpers  14  are selectively moved to form the copper loops with a predetermined shape that results in coil  12 . 
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of an exemplary computer-assisted design system  100  that may be used with the coil forming machine  10 . In the exemplary embodiment, computer system  100  includes a computing device  105  including a memory device  110  that may be used to receive and/or send coil  12  information throughout computer system  100  or to another computer system. In the exemplary embodiment, computing device  105  includes a processor  115  that is in communication with memory device  110  and that executes programmed instructions stored or input to memory device  110 . More specifically, in some embodiments, the computer-executable instructions are stored in memory device  110 . Alternatively, computer-executable instructions may be retrieved from another device via a computer network. Computing device  105  is programmable to perform one or more operations described herein through programming of processor  115 . For example, processor  115  may be programmed by encoding an operation as one or more computer-executable instructions and providing the computer-executable instructions in memory device  110 . Processor  115  may include one or more processing units (e.g., in a multi-core configuration). 
         [0018]    Processor  115  may include, but is not limited to, a general purpose central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microcontroller, a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic circuit (PLC), and/or any other circuit or processor capable of executing the functions described herein. The methods described herein may be encoded as executable instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, including, without limitation, a storage device and/or a memory device. Such instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform at least a portion of the methods described herein. The above examples are exemplary only, and thus are not intended to limit in any way the definition and/or meaning of the term processor. 
         [0019]    In the exemplary embodiment, memory device  110  is one or more devices that enable information, such as executable instructions and/or other data, to be selectively stored and retrieved. Memory device  110  may include one or more computer readable media, such as, without limitation, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), a solid state disk, and/or a hard disk. Memory device  110  may be configured to store, without limitation, executable instructions and/or any other type of data suitable for use with the methods described herein. 
         [0020]    In the exemplary embodiment, computing device  105  includes a presentation interface  120  that is coupled to processor  115 . Presentation interface  120  is configured to output (e.g., display, print, and/or otherwise output) information, such as, but not limited to, a model of the location of the coil bumpers, securement assembly and a coil formed from the coil machine setup and a comparison of the model to a coil production requirement, to a user  125 . For example, presentation interface  120  may include a display adapter (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) that is coupled to a display device, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic LED (OLED) display, and/or an “electronic ink” display. In some embodiments, presentation interface  120  includes more than one display device. In addition to, or in the alternative, presentation interface  120  may include a printer. 
         [0021]    In some embodiments, computing device  105  includes an input interface  130  that receives input from user  125 . For example, input interface  130  may receive a model of a coil that is to be produced or of a coil production model (e.g., a three dimensional (3D) CAD drawing/model) and/or any other information suitable for use with the methods and systems described herein. 
         [0022]    In the exemplary embodiment, input interface  130  is coupled to processor  115  and may include, for example, a keyboard, a pointing device, a mouse, a stylus, a touch sensitive panel (e.g., a touch pad or a touch screen), a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a position detector, and/or an audio input interface. A single component, such as a touch screen, may function as both a display device of presentation interface  120  and as input interface  130 . 
         [0023]    Computing device  105  may include a communication interface  135  coupled to processor  115 . Communication interface  135  is coupled in communication with a remote device, such as another computing device  105 . For example, communication interface  135  may include, without limitation, a wired network adapter, a wireless network adapter, and/or a mobile telecommunications adapter. 
         [0024]    In the exemplary embodiment, computing device  105  is coupled to a sensor  145 . In the exemplary embodiment, sensor  145  is a 3D laser scanner that is used for scanning coil bumpers  14  of coil forming machine  10 . For example, 3D laser scanner may be an EXAscan™ 3D scanner commercially available from Creaform, headquartered in Levis, Canada. Alternatively, sensor  145  can be any 3D modeler or device that can provide 3D coordinates in space that enables a coil forming machine to be configured as described herein. 
         [0025]    In an exemplary embodiment, computing device  105  stores in memory device  110 , and/or is operable to access via communication interface  135  (e.g., from another computing device  105 ), data for use in communicating coil information. For example, such data may include, but is not limited to only including, coil production model requirements and/or variance from the production model allowances. 
         [0026]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart of an exemplary method  200  that may be used to configure a coil forming machine, such as the coil forming machine  10 .  FIG. 6  is an illustration of an exemplary coil production model  300  and  FIG. 7  is an illustration of an exemplary model  302  of a coil produced by the coil forming machine  10 .  FIG. 8  is an exemplary comparison of a scan of coil bumpers and the coil production model shown in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 9  is an exemplary comparison of the coil production model  300  and the model  302 . 
         [0027]    In the exemplary embodiment, computing device  105  receives  202  a coil production model  300 . For example, in one embodiment, coil production model  300  is received  202  as a 3D CAD drawing/model. Model  300  can be received by computing device  105  including but not limited to, input interface  130 , communication interface  135 , and memory device  110 . Alternatively, coil production model  300  can be any 3D model that enables a coil forming machine  10  to be configured as described herein. In the exemplary embodiment, a scan of coil bumpers  14  and coil securement assembly  16  is performed  204 . The scan of coil bumpers  14  and coil securement assembly  16  is then input to computing device  105  such that the scanned coil bumpers are compared  206  to production model  300 , as shown in exemplary  FIG. 8 . If model  300  is determined  208  not to be in contact with coil bumpers  14  and/or coil securement assembly  16  during comparison  206 , coil machine is adjusted and the steps of scanning  204 , comparing,  206 , and determining  208  are continued. 
         [0028]    When it is determined  208  that the coil bumpers  14  and/or coil securement assembly  16  would be in contact with model  300  during comparison  206 , a first test coil is created  212 . After first test coil is created  212 , a scan is taken and received  214  of the first test coil, by computing device  105 , to generate  216  a test coil model  302 . In the exemplary embodiment, model  302  is a 3D model that can be compared side-by-side against the coil production model  300  previously received  202 . 
         [0029]    Computing device  105  compares  218  received 3D model  300  to generated 3D model  302  to obtain a comparison, as shown in exemplary  FIG. 9 . If model  300  received  202  is not within the predetermined tolerances of generated  216  model  302 , coil forming machine  10  is adjusted  214 . After machine  10  is adjusted  210 , the steps of creating a test coil  212 , receiving a scan  214 , generating  216  a model  302 , and comparing  218  models  300  and  302  are repeated until received  202  model  300  is within predetermined tolerances of generated  216  model  302 . In one embodiment, the predetermined tolerances are in the range from +0.25 inches to −0.02 inches. In the exemplary embodiment, the predetermined tolerances range from +0.06 inches to −0.06 inches. If the received  202  model  300  is within predetermined tolerances  220  of the generated  216  model  302 , then a notification is generated  222  that coil machine  10  is set up such that coil  12  replicating received  202  coil production model  302  is within the predetermined tolerances. As such, the ability to adjust  210  machine  10  prevents unnecessarily wasting coils during a trial and error setup. 
         [0030]    The above described embodiments provide for a cost effective method for configuring a coil machine. Such a method is cost effective because it reduces the labor hours needed to create a unique coil and the amount of unusable coils is significantly if not entirely eliminated with such a method. 
         [0031]    A technical effect of the methods, systems, and computer products described herein includes at least one of: (a) receive a 3D model of a production coil; (b) receive a 3D model of a test coil; (c) compare the received 3D production coil model to the received 3D test coil model to obtain a comparison; and (d) output a display of the comparison. Exemplary embodiments of methods and systems are described and/or illustrated herein in detail. The exemplary systems and methods are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but rather, components of each system and/or steps of each method may be utilized independently and separately from other components and/or method steps described herein. Each component and each method step may also be used in combination with other components and/or method steps. 
         [0032]    This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.