Automatic EI-50 lamination stacking machine

Automatic EI-50 Lamination Stacking Machine for Compact Transformer Core Production Lines

The EI-50 inserts E & I silicon steel laminations into transformer coil bobbins under PLC control. Positioning accuracy is ±0.02 mm, stacking accuracy ±0.1 mm, and cycle time is adjustable from 1 to 60 seconds, up to 250 stacks per minute. It is specified for the 100-300 VA band, where a plant runs many small cores rather than a few large ones and the machine has to keep pace with a winding or assembly cell that never stops.

Why a Compact Line Needs a Different Machine

A stacking machine on a large-core line is judged on accuracy and load capacity. A stacking machine on a compact line is judged on something else: whether it fits the rhythm of the people standing next to it. On a line building 100-300 VA cores, the operator who stacks is usually the same person who winds or assembles, and the machine only works if the core is finished exactly when the next station is ready for it.

That changes the specification. Peak output of 250 stacks per minute matters less than whether the machine can be set to a comfortable rate and hold it for eight hours without drift.

The Match Problem

Every compact line has a bottleneck station, and the stacking machine is rarely it. If the machine runs faster than the cell feeds it, cores pile up and the operator has to break rhythm to clear them. If it runs slower, the cell waits. Neither shows up on a quotation sheet, and both cost more than the price difference between two machines.

The EI-50 solves this at the setting level rather than the hardware level:

• Cycle time from 1 to 60 seconds. The machine is set to the cell's real takt, not to its own maximum. A 100-300 VA core typically lands in the slow half of that range, which is where stability matters most.
• A single knob-free parameter set. Rate and stacking accuracy are held in the PLC against the touch screen, so a shift change does not mean re-tuning. The next operator presses start and the machine behaves the same way.
• No warm-up drift. Positioning accuracy of ±0.02 mm is established at the frame, so the first core of the morning stacks the same as the last core of the afternoon shift.

Footprint and Layout

Compact lines are usually already built, and what is left is a gap between two stations. The EI-50 is a benchtop-scale unit: 70 kg machine weight, 40-100 kg load range, 30-60 W of power, running from 220V / 380V 50/60 Hz with 220V and 24V grounding. It does not need a dedicated foundation, a compressed-air line upgrade or a new power drop, which is the part of a machine purchase that usually delays the install by a month.

Placing it is a two-person job with a pallet truck. Moving it later is the same.

Where It Belongs in a Small Plant

Three layouts account for most of the EI-50 installations:

1. Between winding and assembly. The classic position: wound bobbin in, stacked core out, one operator running both. The machine sits where a second bench used to be.
2. At the head of a shared assembly table. Several winders feed one stacking station, which then feeds two assemblers. The cycle time setting is what balances the two halves of the room.
3. As the second machine on an existing line. Where a plant already runs a larger stacker for its main product and needs a small, always-available unit for short runs and sample work, without breaking the main line's setup.

Changeover Without a Breakdown

Small plants change core size often, sometimes several times a shift. On the EI-50 the change is mechanical and short: swap or re-seat the lamination guidance for the new EI stack height, confirm the stacking accuracy on a first-off core, and continue. The PLC holds the rate, so the only thing that needs re-checking is the stack itself.

Because the frame is bolted high-strength structural steel, the guidance parts that see the most wear can be replaced individually, and a damaged guide does not take the machine out of service for a week.

Technical Specifications

Ordering and Delivery

Minimum order is one unit. Payment is by T/T. Standard delivery is 1-15 working days depending on configuration and stock position, packed in export-grade plywood cases. Installation and operator training are provided free online; on-site attendance is quoted on request.

If you are matching an EI-50 to an existing cell, send us your core size, the takt of the station it will feed, and the space available between stations. We will confirm the guidance configuration and the recommended cycle time setting, and return a quotation with the wear-parts list attached.