Method and system for winding a continuous elongate element

A system for winding a continuous elongate element onto cylindrical elements, the system comprising:

• a feeder from which the continuous elongate element is providable to cylindrical elements in consecutive order,
• a plurality of cylindrical elements for receiving and winding said continuous elongate element,
• a central rotatable member provided with an engagement portion,
• a cutter comprising:
• a first motor configured to drive a first rotatable shaft, the first rotatable shaft being configured to receive and hold a cylindrical element on one side of the central rotatable member, and
• a second motor configured to drive a second rotatable shaft, the second rotatable shaft being configured to receive and hold a cylindrical element on the opposite side of the central rotatable member;
• and
• a control unit,
• wherein the control unit is configured to:
• align the feeder with a first cylindrical element of said plurality of cylindrical elements for winding the continuous elongate element onto the first cylindrical element by rotating the first cylindrical element,
• provide the first cylindrical element and a second cylindrical element of said plurality of cylindrical elements on respective sides of the central rotatable member along a common geometrical rotational axis,
• rotate the first cylindrical element, the second cylindrical element and the central rotatable member with the same rotational speed,
• while the first cylindrical element, the second cylindrical element and the central rotatable member rotate, cause the feeder to be displaced from being aligned with the first cylindrical element to being aligned with the second cylindrical element, wherein the displacement causes the continuous elongate element to come into engagement with the engagement portion of the central rotatable member, preventing the already wound portion of the continuous elongate element from being unwound from the first cylindrical element, and
• continue to rotate the second cylindrical element for winding the continuous elongate element from the feeder onto the second cylindrical element;
• and
• wherein the control unit is further configured to:
• control the cutter to cut the continuous elongate element at its engagement with the engagement portion so as to split it into two portions, a first portion already wound on the first cylindrical element and a second portion which is still being winded onto the second cylindrical element, and
• control the operation of the first and second motor of the cutter in master-slave-synchronization mode in which the slave is synchronized with the rotational speed of the master, wherein at any given point in time, the one of the first and second motors that is operating a cylindrical element onto which the continuous elongate element is currently being winded is the master, while the other one of the first and second motors is the slave.