With the continued growth of global energy demand and the upgrading of power infrastructure, the transformer equipment industry is facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities. In the manufacturing process of high-voltage, ultra-high-voltage transformers and large reactors, the winding process, as a core link, directly determines the performance and lifespan of the final product through its precision, efficiency, and safety. As core equipment in this field, the technological evolution of vertical winding machines has become a key benchmark for measuring the manufacturing level of power transmission and distribution equipment.
Recently, based on in-depth research into the latest technological trends in winding machines and combined with the practical application case of the LRJ15-2600 transformer winding machine, we provide a comprehensive analysis of how modern automatic winding machines reshape the process of large coil winding through mechanical innovation and intelligent control.
Structural Innovation: A Dual Breakthrough in Load Capacity and Precision
Traditional winding equipment often faces pain points such as coil deformation, asynchronous lifting, and poor safety when handling large coils of 15 tons and above. Modern high-performance vertical winding machines have undergone fundamental optimization in their mechanical structure.
Taking the LRJ15-2600 transformer winding machine as an example, it employs a stable structure with a triangular base and three guide rail columns. This design departs from the simple “pit + single column” model, instead distributing the three guide rail columns evenly around the base to form a closed mechanical system. The advantage of this structure is that when the winding disc bears a coil load of up to 15 tons, the enormous bending moment and torque are evenly distributed across the three columns, significantly improving the rigidity of the equipment.
Furthermore, addressing the most troublesome “synchronization problem” of large winding machines, modern advanced equipment has abandoned synchronization schemes relying on electrical signal feedback. By employing a closed, three-part splitter box, absolute synchronous rotation of the three lead screws is guaranteed from the mechanical source. This design not only eliminates potential response delays in electrical control but also avoids accelerated wear on one side of the lead screw due to uneven load, ensuring smooth lifting and lowering of the winding disc within a 2500mm stroke with millimeter-level accuracy.
Process Adaptation: From “Man Follows the Winding Plate” to “Winding Plate Follows the Man”
In the manufacturing of high-voltage transformer windings, the operator’s skill is just as important as the ease of use of the equipment. In the past, operators needed to constantly adjust their standing position or build temporary platforms as the coil was wound, which was not only inefficient but also posed safety hazards.
Modern vertical winding machines deeply understand this process pain point. The new generation of equipment introduces a winding plate that automatically adjusts its height. Operators no longer need to look up or down to wind the coil; the winding plate automatically rises and falls according to the height of the coil being wound, always keeping the operating surface at the optimal ergonomic height.
To achieve this function, the automatic winding machine requires not only precise lifting control but also a matching movable platform system. As shown in the documentation, the equipment is equipped with a retractable movable cover that automatically opens and closes according to the coil diameter (within the range of 1000-2800mm). This “moving pit cover” design ensures that operators have a solid and safe working surface at any position on the winding plate, completely eliminating the risk of falls from height. When interference between the winding disc and the platform is detected, the system immediately locks the lifting function and issues an alarm, reflecting the “safety first” design philosophy of transformer equipment.
Control Logic: Intelligent Variable Frequency Drive and Tension
Management For transformer winding machines producing high-voltage coils, controlling the conductor tension is crucial to the coil’s electrical performance. Excessive tension can damage the conductor insulation or cause excessive internal stress; insufficient tension will result in a loose coil, unable to withstand the impact of short-circuit current.
Modern winding machines have achieved deep intelligence in this aspect. In terms of rotational drive, a high-performance vector frequency converter drives the winding disc, achieving true stepless speed regulation. The direct benefits of this drive scheme are: at the beginning of winding, the system can smoothly accelerate to the set speed within half a turn; during stopping or emergency braking, it can achieve precise braking (no-load) within a quarter turn, greatly improving the success rate of starting and ending winding.
Regarding the core challenge of tension control, professional automatic winding machines employ pneumatically adjustable clamping devices. For flat or transposed conductors, the clamping head offers two tension modes: high tension for tightening the coil and low tension for normal winding. More importantly, the clamping device is mounted on a precision linear guide, allowing free movement as the winding diameter changes, ensuring the conductor always enters the die at the optimal angle, reducing friction between the conductor and the die edge, and protecting the insulation layer.
Safety Redundancy and Maintenance Convenience
Accidents involving heavy-duty vertical winding machines are often catastrophic. Therefore, modern design philosophy incorporates the concept of “multiple safety redundancies.”
In the column lifting system, in addition to the main nut bearing the primary load, a safety nut is specially installed. This safety nut is in a “dormant” state during normal operation, maintaining a certain gap with the main nut. If the main nut experiences excessive gap due to long-term wear or failure, the safety nut immediately takes over, preventing the coil from falling. Simultaneously, it triggers a microswitch alarm, alerting maintenance personnel for inspection. This mechanical passive safety protection is more reliable than any electrical limit switch.
Furthermore, the ease of equipment maintenance directly impacts production efficiency. The centralized lubrication system not only enables automatic, timed, and quantitative lubrication of key moving parts such as lead screws and guide rails, but also features a fault alarm function. When lubrication lines are blocked or the oil level is insufficient, the system will promptly alert the user, effectively preventing lead screw seizure or abnormal wear caused by poor lubrication.
Industry Applications and Value Analysis
The value of a transformer winding machine with such technical characteristics is evident in specific applications. In manufacturing ultra-high voltage transformers of 220kV and above, the requirements for coil turn insulation and transposition accuracy are extremely high. Using a vertical winding machine with precise counting and power-off memory functions ensures accurate recovery of turn counts even in the event of an unexpected power outage during production, preventing the generation of defective products.
Meanwhile, for Transformer equipment exported overseas, international users have extremely high requirements for the traceability of the winding process. Advanced automatic winding machines, equipped with encoders and PLC systems, can record the process parameters of each winding turn, providing data support for quality traceability. For example, the LRJ15-2600 model comes standard with a Yaskawa speed controller and an Omron programmable controller. This combination of imported components ensures the long-term stability of the control system under harsh electromagnetic environments.
Conclusion
Looking to the future, with the development of ultra-high voltage power transmission, offshore wind power, and energy storage technologies, the demand for large transformers will continue to grow. As core manufacturing equipment, vertical winding machines will evolve towards larger tonnage, higher precision, and greater automation. We believe that by continuously integrating advanced mechanical design and digital control technologies, winding machines will continue to drive the transformer manufacturing industry to new heights, providing solid equipment support for the construction of the global energy internet.
Media Contact
Company Name: Wuxi Shuhong Machinery Technology Co., Ltd.
Email: Send Email
Country: China
Website: https://www.wxshmachinery.com/