Superconductor Cable & Coil Machinery
Machinery for Superconductors and Superconducting Coil Manufacturing.
ITER Tokamak
Ridgway supplied the insulation wrapping machines for the Central Solenoid, Poloidal Field and the
Toroidal field coils for the ITER Tokamak. Typically the coils were wrapped with Kapton and glass tapes.
Polodfial Feild coil wrapping machine supplied to Sea Alp. Coils were up to 26m outside diamiter.
Central Solenoid coil wrapping machine supplied to General Atomics. Coils were 4.2m outside diameter x 2.6m inside diameter.
Toroidal Field coil wrapping machine supplied to Elytt. Coils were 14m high x 8.6m wide.
3D Coil Winding
Companies require complex 3D shaped coils for various applications. The Ridgway Multi-axis coil winding machine can accommodate these needs by winding complex coils in multiple planes and dimensions. The operator control unit has a wireless controller connected to the machinery control system. This enables the operator to safely get close to where the coil is being wound. CERN and PSI are among some of the companies working on developing these coils using Ridgway Multi-axis coil winding machines.
2D Coil Winder
The 2D Coil Winder enables simple 2D / flat coils to be wound with precise tension control.
The pay-off is fitted with dancer, load cell and length encoder systems.
It is PLC controlled and fully programmable, enabling the coil to be wound with constant or a varying tension. The winding data can be captured for quality control purposes.
The machine shown will accommodate coils and cassettes up to 600mm in diameter but can be supplied to suit customer requirements.
Coil Winder & Pay-off Systems
Whilst simple coils can be wound using just 1 tape / conductor, more complex coils require more complex machinery. Machines can be supplied to meet customer requirements.
A single pay-off spindle to accommodate the HTS spools. Designed to be positioned vertically using weights to set the tension level in the superconductor. Designs are also available with electro-pneumatic or servo tension control.
Ridgways’s Large Coil Winder with 48 pay-offs
Coil Winder with 20 pay-offs
Coil Connections Insulating Machines
9m long x 3m wide BCT Taping Machine Gantry
The suspension gantries complement the Ridgway range of BCT taping machines. Designed as a work station, a free running carriage mounted to linear rails ensures smooth lateral movement of the taping head.
Superconductor Cassette Rewinder
The Superconductor Cassette Rewinder is typically used for transferring tapes / conductors from one cassette to another, rewinding poorly wound tapes / conductors with controlled and precise tension, rewinding so that a tow or tail piece can be added to carry out quality checks.
The machine includes a servo driven pay-off, take-up and
dancer for precise tensions control, length counter, PLC
control system with HMI and guard systems with electrical interlocks.
It can accommodate cassettes up to 600mm in
diameter, tapes between 4mm and 12mm wide, tensions
between 5N and 40N with speeds up to 10m/minute. Data capture for distance and rewind tension is also included.
The machine can be adjusted to suit customer specifications.
Superconductor Rewind Line
The rewind line is used to wind conductor from one drum to another. Drums of conductor are loaded onto the pay-off and empty drums are loaded onto the take-up.
The conductor is transferred from the pay-off to the take-up at a controlled speed and tension via dancer control. Quality control systems can be added to these lines.
These lines can be supplied in various configurations to suit customer specifications.
Superconductor Cable Winder
Ridgway have recently worked with companies supplying them with machinery to manufacture
Superconducting cables using HTS technology.
Production lines have been designed and manufactured for winding of HTS conductors around cable cores. Insulation wrapping heads have also been supplied as required.
The lines have been supplied complete with drum stands, caterpillars, taping machines, winding machines and PLC control systems.
Superconductor Cable Insulating Machine
This machine is used for insulating sample lengths of Superconducting cables to enable testing of insulation types to determine their performance.
The machine shown can accommodate sample lengths up to 30m long x 80mm in diameter.
The sample cable is placed in the machine, supported on retractable clamps and secured at both ends. The cable supports retract as the wrapping head approaches.
The machine is PLC controlled and fitted with HMI.
Superconductor Cable Insulating
Ridgway supply taping lines capable of applying a variety of insulation tapes to Superconductor cables.
Lines come complete with pay-off, tape wrapping heads, caterpillar or capstan wheels, take-up and PLC control systems.
The lines can be supplied to customer requirements including multiple wrapping heads and a variety of pay-offs and take-ups. Quality control systems can be added including tape position measuring cameras and spark tester.
This taping line has been designed with a single high speed concentric taping head, used for the application of Kapton tape onto HTS and similar conductors.
Cassettes of conductor are loaded onto the pay-off stand or the conductor is then fed through the integrated dancer, into the taping machine, passing through the spark tester, before being wound on the take-up stand.