Automated design and manufacturing of 3-D coils

The "Direct Conductor Placement System" (DCPS) was developed to provide a cost-effective, high-precision, computer-aided manufacturing process for 3-dimensional coils and wire forms made from a large variety of conductors. The system provides computer-aided design and manufacture of complex, multi-layer, and splice free coils. Through the use of sophisticated software design tools and state-of-the-art automation, the DCPS drastically reduces R&D and product development cycles. The end result is a flexible, cost effective and high quality product. The DCPS system enables engineers to place conductors in complex patterns with great efficiency and accuracy, and without the need for hard tooling. It also allows new types of coils and patterns that were never practical before. The system even permits the implementation of design changes at almost any time during the production process. The DCPS includes a custom designed eight-axis robot, patented end effector, CoilCAD/sup TM/ design software, RoboWire/sup TM/ control software, and automated quality control.