Whether or not you’re actually going to build this CNC wire bender, we think you’ll love getting a closer look at how it’s put together. The team over at PENSA got such a strong response from a look at the original machine that they decided to film a video (embedded after the break) showing how the thing was put together. They’ve also posted a repository with code, bom, etc.
In the image above [Marco] shows off the portion that actually does the bending. It’s designed to mount on the pipe through which the straightened wire is fed. The 3d printed mounting bracket really makes this a lot easier. The assembly provides a place to attach the solenoid which moves a bearing in and out of position. That bearing presses against the wire to do the bending, but must be moved from one side of the wire to the other depending on the direction of the next bend. This is a lot easier to understand after watching the demo video which is also embedded after the break.
Sweet!
Cant see first video, permission issue.
have the direct link http://vimeo.com/44274793
Now build one which can do girders and just call it ‘Bender’ ;)
Nice! Reminds me of those automated mandrel tubing benders that manufacture vehicle exhaust pipes.
Speaking of… Could one of these successfully bend small diameter tubing?
You know what this is perfect for? Building extremely complex fractal antennas
Now they just need to find a way to feed the wire against the bending pin, would result in a much smoother bend on the long sweeping turns. Then it would be even closer to a professional system. Maybe knurl the feed rollers?