Method and machine to manufacture one or more coils around respective articles

A method to manufacture at least two different coils (11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E, 11F) around respective articles (1) using an automatic machine (14);

• the method comprises the steps of:
• moving, by means of a main conveyor (19) and along a processing path (P), a plurality of carriages (16), each provided with at least one seat (18) designed to house an article (1);
• placing, in an input station (S1) arranged along the processing path (P), each article (1) in the at least one seat (18) of a corresponding carriage (16);
• coupling, in a first winding station (S5) arranged along the processing path (P), a wire (13) around each article (1) carried by a carriage (16) so as to create a corresponding first coil (11A);
• coupling, in a second winding station (S6) arranged along the processing path (P) downstream of the first winding station (S5), a wire (13) around each article (1) carried by a carriage (16) so as to create a corresponding second coil (11B);
• and
• changing the orientation of the article (1) relative to the carriage (16) in a handling station (S8) arranged along the processing path (P) between the first winding station (S5) and the second winding station (S6);
• wherein, in case a winding station (S5, S6) does not work, the other winding station (S6, S5) is configured to couple a wire (13) around each article (1) carried by [a] the carriage (16) so as to create both a corresponding first coil (11A) and a corresponding second coil (11B), taking the place of the winding station (S5, S6) that is not working.

An automatic machine (14) to manufacture one or more coils (11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E, 11F) around respective articles (1) and comprising:

• a main conveyor (19), which is configured to move, along a processing path (P), a plurality of carriages (16), each provided with at least one seat (18) designed to house an article (1);
• an input station (S1), which is arranged along the processing path (P) and is configured to place each article (1) in the at least one seat (18) of a corresponding carriage (16);
• at least one first winding station (S5) and at least one second winding station (S6), which are arranged one after the other along the path (P) and are each configured to couple a wire (13) around an article (1) carried by a carriage (16) so as to create a corresponding coil (11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E, 11F);
• and
• a control unit (31), which is configured to:
• use, when they are both working, the two winding stations (S5, S6) together and in parallel, having each winding station (S5, S6) operate at a corresponding first production speed;
• and
• use, when a winding station (S5, S6) is not working, only the other winding station (S6, S5), which is caused to operate at a second production speed, which is higher than the corresponding first production speed.

An automatic machine (14) to manufacture one or more coils (11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E, 11F) around respective articles (1) and comprising:

• a main conveyor (19), which is configured to move, along a processing path (P), a plurality of carriages (16), each provided with at least one seat (18) designed to house an article (1);
• an input station (S1), which is arranged along the processing path (P) and is configured to place each article (1) in the at least one seat (18) of a corresponding carriage (16);
• at least one first winding station (S5) and at least one second winding station (S7), which are arranged one after the other along the path (P) and are each configured to couple a wire (13) around an article (1) carried by a carriage (16) so as to create a corresponding coil (11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E, 11F);
• and
• a control unit (31), which is configured to use, when they all work, all winding stations (S5, S6) together and in parallel, having each winding station (S5, S6) operate at a first production speed, so that the sum of all first production speeds is equal to a production speed of the automatic machine (14);
• wherein the control unit (31) is configured to use, when a winding station (S5, S6) does not work, only the other working winding stations (S5, S6), each of them being caused to operate at a second production speed, so that the sum of all second production speeds is equal to a production speed of the automatic machine (14);
• and
• wherein each winding station (S5, S6) has a maximum production speed which is higher than a maximum production speed of the automatic machine (14) divided by the total number of winding stations (S5, S6).