Composite Filament Winder

Single-board controller

I designed a custom PCB integrating the ESP32 microcontroller, four TMC2209 stepper drivers, power distribution, and signal routing onto a single board, replacing the breadboard prototype with a production-ready assembly.

The breadboard prototype was prone to intermittent connections. Consolidating power and signal onto one board made the machine's behaviour repeatable, which was necessary once we began validating the winding angle specification.

Motion hardware

Motion hardware is an ESP32 driving four TMC2209 drivers across two NEMA23 and two NEMA17 steppers. Limit switches handle axis homing and endpoint detection. I handled motor wiring, driver bring-up, and system debugging through to coordinated motion.

Winding parameters and interface

I developed the C++ control software and a browser-based interface for the parameters that define a wind, which are tube length, winding angle, diameter, and layer count. From those inputs, the machine drives coordinated winding routines across all four axes, with real-time current and voltage monitoring during testing.

The interface is limited to those four inputs so an operator does not need to understand the axis coordination to run the machine.

Frame and assembly

I built and assembled the aluminum-extrusion frame and mounting hardware, integrating the motors, motion components, and the resin bath and toolhead into a single working machine.

Two tubes wound on the finished machine.