DIY Rope Winding Machine

If someone were to tell you to combine for lengths of string into a stronger cord, you probably wouldn’t know what to do. After a bit of searching, however, you’d likely be able to figure it out, but would also certainly wish that you had some sort of automation to assist you with the task. As seen in the video below, Mr Innovative would know exactly how to accomplish this, as he was able to make his own winding machine with readily available and 3D-printed parts.

In the video, after first creating a wooden base, he then attaches a powerful DC motor to drive the device’s “spin mechanism.” This takes the form of a planetary gearset, which when the overall geared circle spins, four smaller gears which hold the rolls of string spin as well. As the spinning strings are fed out, the system combines everything into one cohesive cord.

This cord is held against an encoder which measures how much rope is dispensed, before being guided onto the finished spindle with a stepper motor that rotates left and right as a guide. This spindle is controlled by another stepper and belt drive, so while it might be possible to estimate length based on spool calculations, the use of an encoder certainly makes things much easier and more accurate.

Electronics include an Arduino Nano, along with a custom driver board. User interface is accomplished via an encoder and a 16x2 LCD display. A link to the code and PCB design is available in the video description if you'd like to take a closer look!