Design of a braiding machine : For micro-tubing used in reconfigurable fluidic wearables

In this project the objective is to understand how to design a braiding machine capable of automated production of Omnifibre in a research environment. Automated production of Omnifibre is the key issue for the researchers as they want to increase the weaveabilty of the fibers and make it more suitable for use in active textiles. To achieve the necessary knowledge when designing a braiding machine, an extensive literature study was performed which focused on braids, braiding machines, and CNC manufacturing. An Interview with a researcher and with a manufacturing expert was conducted. Simulations of different braiding machine configurations were performed in TexMind braiding machine configurator. Solidworks was used to estimate the size of the braiding machine. A large amount of the machine’s parts were manufactured on a CNC mill and lathe to test manufacturability and to aid in designing optimal subsystems. The result is a proposed design for a braiding machine in the form of a 3-D model and a partially completed prototype used for testing and design evaluation. The conclusion is that Omnifibre is much like other ultra-fine braided threads, and the research on its applicability has a big impact on the braiding machine’s design, especially on flexibility in thread material and braiding patterns.