DVD Wire Winding Machine

While countless computers get thrown away every year, with a little work they can produce useful parts for other projects. The build shown below by Mr Innovative, for example, is an Arduino-based wire winding machine made from a DVD drive. This could be helpful for a wide range of projects, whether electric windings, or perhaps even others involving thread!

The build starts off with the disassembly of a DVD drive, and wiring its four connectors for control. Besides a motor, the DVD internals provide a nice mechanical frame on which a wire guide made from a modified bolt can ride. This moves back and forth as the wire is wound on a custom bobbin to keep the new coil even. Turns are tracked via an IR sensor, which picks up on a piece of material attached to the rotating assembly.

Control of the assembly is via an Arduino Nano clone on a custom PCB, and user interface is provided via an encoder and small OLED display. It's a neat build, and certainly useful; perhaps we’ll see new projects accomplished with the help of this device in the future!

For another recycled computer parts project, check out this Raspberry Pi NAS enclosure and heat sink that was scrounged from a recycled desktop PC. As I still have the DVD ROM available, I’m tempted to take that apart too!