Digital Twin of the Linear Winding Process Based on Explicit Finite Element Method

Linear winding is one of several process alternatives in coil production. Due to its simplicity and robustness, it is used in various applications. At the Institute for Factory Automation and Production Systems at the Friedrich-Alexander- University Erlangen-Nuremberg, simulation tools are used to validate and evaluate various winding process alternatives. In this context, this paper describes a finite element (FE) analysis of the linear winding process. First, an overview of the linear winding technique and its special features is given. The configuration of the FE simulation model and the applied material model is presented in detail and necessary simplifications are described. After executing the simulation, the simulation results are validated against the experimental data. The validated simulation is used to identify significant influencing variables. Based on the simulation, it can be deduced that an increase of the wire tensile force as well as a reduction of the wire diameter in the tolerance window leads to a smaller overall circumference of the coil. Furthermore, the caster angle could be determined as an influence on the coil diameter.