Development of PLC-based tension control system

Fiber winding tension is an important factor in the molding techniques of composite material which influences the quality of winding product directly, and the tension control is a key technique in fiber winding techniques. This paper introduces a closed-loop tension control system with the programmable logic controller (PLC) with function modules as its control kernel, the alternating current (AC) servo motor as execute element and the radius-following device to accomplish the real-time radius compensation. The mechanism of the tension control system is analyzed and the numerical model is set up. The compensation technique of the radius of the scroll is analyzed. Experimental results show that the system is well qualified with high control precision and high reaction speed.