DIWire Bender

D.I.Wire Bender is a rapid prototype machine that bends metal wire to produce 2D and 3D shapes, pushing the limits of what can be produced in different materials, forms, and methods, anywhere from a model shop to your home.

For the code, full bill of materials (parts list), and readme files, visit the project page on our Google Code site.

The files can be found under Download. The code can be found under Source/Browse.

Tools
3D printer , Rapid Prototyper
General hand tools
General power tools

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Step 1: Wiring and Motors

1. Follow wiring diagram to connect the electronics. See the program and wiring diagram to get the pinout for the Arduino.

2. Connect motors to the drivers - this wiring depends on the motors and drivers you select. If you use the ones we did, its a quick connect with a Molex connector.

3. Connect drivers to the Arduino. Most motor drivers have a direction, pulse and common ground wires or CW pulse, CCW pulse and ground. These are the ones you are mostly concerned about. Some have "all windings off" and other options.

4. Connect one of the solenoid of the leads to the power supply.

5. Connect the relay DC control to the Arduino pin and the common ground. If it's a solid state relay, be sure to connect it in the right direction, or it won't switch. Connect the Normally Open (NO) lead to the power supply and the other side to the solenoid.

6. Put the steel gear on the bender motor, and the knurled knob on the feeder motor. Don't put the nylon gear on the Z-bend motor yet.

7. Before the next step, test the Arduino and Processing programs to make sure the gears turn and the solenoid moves as expected.

antioch says: Mar 12, 2013. 10:06 AM

Oooh, impressive! Would have loved to see your bender in action.
What program lets you add that beautiful label effect in the fly-by sequence starting at 05:01 ?

cwatts4 says: Jan 27, 2013. 7:02 AM

is there a video of it in action? great instructable, wish i had time to make things like this!!

sadiablo says: Jan 28, 2013. 6:22 PM

Was thinking the same, managed to find this.
http://blog.pensanyc.com/post/22264370500/the-diwire-bender-how-to-bend

Alienjones says: Jan 28, 2013. 5:30 PM

When you get ready to market it, please, oh please, let me be the first. You probably already know about the growing market for metal ornaments this machine could turn out in better than hand made quantities while still attracting the high price of them.

Great job. Thanks for showing us that invention beats imitation any time! Got any other great projects to share?

Edgar says: Jan 28, 2013. 9:10 AM

I once debated one such machine idea, on the Net, glad to see it came into fruition, somehow, and I specially like the bender's tip, that ball, tipping the wire this way, and that way...

Good idea, and instructable, went to my Blog:
http://faz-voce-mesmo.blogspot.pt/2013/01/modi-bots-algo-de-importante-e-um.html

Wazzupdoc says: Jan 28, 2013. 7:33 AM

Wow! Brilliant!

shannonlove says: Jan 27, 2013. 1:09 PM

BTW, you might want to use another graphic for you finished product display. That heavily grained and lined table obliterates the lines of the wire making them almost invisible.