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Team 04

Team Members

Faculty Advisor

Drew Belcourt
Hunter Wolcott
Evan Stern

Craig Calvert and Rajiv Naik

Sponsor

Central Wire Industries

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Wire Tensions Sensing System to Reduce Strander Downtime and Maintenance Costs by $500,000 Annually

This project focuses on developing a wire tension sensing system to enhance the efficiency and reliability of Central Wire Industries' (CWI) wire stranding machines. Frequent wire breakages, caused by inconsistent tension settings, result in significant production delays and increased maintenance costs, amounting to approximately $500,000 annually. To address this issue, the proposed system will integrate load cell-based sensors capable of providing real-time tension data, allowing operators to detect and mitigate potential failures before they occur. This proactive solution builds upon a previous design that only detected wire breaks after they happened, shifting the approach from reactive to preventative maintenance. The project involves selecting and designing a sensor that can operate effectively within the constraints of CWI’s high-speed (3000 RPM) rotating stranders, developing a functional prototype, and integrating the system with CWI’s existing control infrastructure for seamless real-time data transmission. By optimizing wire tension settings and minimizing unexpected downtimes, this system will significantly improve production quality, efficiency, and overall cost savings for CWI.