ntroduced

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NKK Power Base™
Nancy's Knit Knacks is pleased to announce the introduction of the motorized add-on product for the HDBW

Heavy Duty Ball Winder (HDBW)

Power Base - $299.99

We have developed a motorized Power Base unit that motorizes our Heavy Duty Ball Winder (HDBW). Like the ball winder itself, we have designed a commercial grade motor unit. The unit incorporates some very high end features not previously available on any electric ball winder.

This unit will work with all existing ball winders previously shipped by NKK as well as with all new production units.

Speed Range - approx. 200 to 800 RPM
(based on balls measuring 2" to 7" in diameter)
 
Note: As of June 2009, this unit comes with a new higher speed motor capable of winding at up to 800 RPMs (previously 540 RPM)
 
Yarn winding rate goes from 0.6 yds. to 5.5 yds. per second
Average winding rate is approx. 3.1 yards per second
(winding rate depends on both the speed and amount of yarn on spindle - the more yarn on the spindle the faster the winding rate is per second)

We recommend that older units be upgraded with our new Ball Winder Tensioner when purchasing the Power Base. This will ensure optimal performance of the ball winder which is key when winding at higher speeds.

New Power Base Lite™ model available as of July 2009 - click here if you would like to compare the two Power Bases.

As of Fall 2009, we have also introduced the Power Base Lite Plus

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 On June 7th, 2008, at the major Wholesale trade show of the year (TNNA in Columbus, OH), we introduced our new NKK Power Base™ which is an add-on product that motorizes our Heavy Duty Ball Winder. The unit was well-received and we sold  a large number of Power Bases and Ball Winders to both shop owners and yarn companies.

Unlike other electric ball winders in the market which are designed to only perform as electric units, our HDBW ball winder can be used with the Power Base by NKK™ or all by itself in manual mode. It is the only ball winder in the World that can perform both manually and electrically.
 
This means that a user who purchased one of our first units in the Fall of 2006 as well as a customer who takes delivery next week, could purchase our NKK Power Base™ now or next year and their investment in their HDBW is maintained and not obsolete.

How did we do it? We designed the ball winder from day one on the premise that we would ultimately electrify it for those users who needed a high performance machine due to their heavy ball winding workload. Yet, we knew we needed to provide a migration path from manual to electric so that users would not have to abandon their original tool when upgrading.
 
Brief overview of features
  • Unit is made from the same Maple hardwood that the ball winder is made from.
  • Unit has a 12" x 6.5" x 4" size (the approximate shape of a large cigar box)
  • The ball winder sits on top of the Power Base and is connected by means of 2 new clamps and an o-ring drive belt.
  • The user simply removes the existing ball winder handle from the ball winder and attaches a pulley to the shaft.
  • The user plugs in the universal (90-264 VAC) laptop style power supply and throws the power switch. 
  • From there, the user controls the operation from the control panel on top of the Power Base™. They may also plug in the optional foot pedal if they want to control the unit in that manner.
  • The unit will not break your yarn. No matter what happens to snag the yarn, the belt drive on the Power Base will automatically slip and cause the ball winder to stop turning in order to protect the yarn and the unit. 
 
The unit has Run and Stop buttons, a Speed control, a Jog speed (a very slow speed for setting up the ball initially or for reversing direction to clear a jam, etc.), a Save button (which saves your preferred speed setting when making one ball after another of the same yarn), and a power-on indicator LED.
 
The high torque DC motor* (combined with our 5x gear train inside of the ball winder) can turn the unit at speeds up to 540 RPM at the spindle arm

Even though our existing winder is easy to wind yarn with, our new electric version is the solution for any shop owner or other commercial user who winds large amounts of yarn each day. Of course, any knitter who has a lot of yarn to wind or has a physical impairment, could also make good use of our new design.
 
Converting back to manual use - The user can easily remove the ball winder from the NKK Power base by loosening 2 clamps, and disconnecting the o-ring belt. Then they would attach the original handle. In other words, if anything ever happens to the NKK Power Base, or if you lose your power, you can easily convert the unit back to a manual system. This is the first time this has ever been possible on this type of equipment. 
 
The unit contains state of the art electronics and membrane switches for failure-free operation. The membrane switch is similar to the switch panel used on your microwave and is not susceptible to fiber debris or other soiling of the switches. A big advantage when many different users are using the unit or when it is operated in a somewhat dusty/dirty environment.
 
We also plan to use the NKK Power Base to power other equipment we have planned for the future. So a single motor system will be able to power multiple pieces of fiber equipment. This represents a good investment for both shop owners and users alike.

There has never been a product like this in the knitting world. It will certainly set the standard for motorized ball winding equipment and possibly, for universal motor drive systems in the fiber arts industry.

We also plan to use the Power Base unit to motorize other yarn handling equipment that we plan to develop such as: skein winder/swift, bobbin winder, and possibly a cone winder.

We can't overstate the importance of having a solid ball winder platform that was capable of being connected to the Power Base unit. By designing the ball winder to be an extremely robust piece of equipment, we were able to confidently attach the Power Base to the HDBW without fear of breaking the ball winder in the event of a mishap. Our unique pulley/belt drive system is designed to slip in the event of a jam or other problem which means that the gear system inside of the ball winder is protected from being damaged by the Power Base's motor drive system.

The HDBW, Power Base, and Electronic Yarn Meter form the ideal workstation for serious knitters and commercial users.

These features have never been available in this market - until now.

When you think of heavy duty ball winder systems for the knitting industry, think of Nancy's Knit Knacks first.

 

 

 

 

 

Ordering


NKK Power Base $299.99  -
 Power Base: The NKK Power Base is the ultimate solution for motorizing our popular ball winder. It includes the following features: high speed motor, reverse, fully digital control panel, foot pedal interface, and most importantly, an interface to our new Electronic Yarn Meter. $299.99
   

Power Base Bundle: The NKK Power Base Bundle combines both the NKK Power Base and the Heavy Duty Ball Winder together. It is the ultimate solution for motorized ball winding. It includes the following features: high speed motor, reverse, fully digital control panel, foot pedal interface, and most importantly, an interface to our new Electronic Yarn Meter. Save $25.00 $475.00

    

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Optional Heavy Duty Foot Pedal - $40.00 MSRP
 
The foot pedal controls the on/off function so the user can use their hands for other purposes while operating the system. It DOES NOT control speed.

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Ball Winder - $199.99 MSRP

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The Power Base includes many expensive assemblies: custom designed printed circuit board, custom designed membrane switch control panel, DC Gearmotor, 24 volt power supply, custom designed pulleys and metal brackets, maple hardwood case, and tons of engineering time.

There has never been a product like the Power Base in the knitting world. It will certainly set the standard for motorized ball winding equipment and possibly, for universal motor drive systems in the fiber arts industry.

We also plan to use the Power Base unit to motorize other yarn handling equipment that we plan to develop such as: skein winder/swift, bobbin winder, and a cone winder.

We can't overstate the importance of having a solid ball winder design that was capable of being connected to the Power Base unit. By designing the ball winder to be an extremely robust piece of equipment, we were able to confidently attach the Power Base to the HDBW without fear of breaking the ball winder in the event of a mishap. Our unique pulley/belt drive system is designed to slip in the event of a jam or other problem which means that the gear system inside of the ball winder is protected from being damaged by the Power Base's motor system.

In 2009, we finalized the development of our Electronic Yarn Meter (EYM) system. The EYM is able to accurately measure yarn in both meters and yards, send electronic signals to the ball winder and tell it when to stop winding, measure yarn in both weight and length parameters.

These features have never been available in this market - until now.

When you think of heavy duty ball winders for the knitting industry, think of Nancy's Knit Knacks first.

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Comparison of the NKK Power Base and the Power Base Lite
and Power Base Lite Plus
 
New Power
Base Lite controls
include power
switch with LED and a
long life potentiometer
Std Power Base
and Power
Base Lite
The Power Base Lite is shown with the Heavy Duty Ball Winder mounted on top. The Ball Winder is sold separately.
 
Feature Power Base Power Base Lite
Max Speed (no load) 800 RPM 500 RPM
800 RPM (Plus)
Elect Yarn Meter Link Yes No
Reverse Direction Yes No
Foot Pedal Option Yes No
Speed Control 10 Speeds, with separate Jog, digital membrane switch panel
Variable speed
Rotary Knob, analog
Save speed settings Yes No
Hardwood Cabinet w/Guard Yes Yes
Power on indicator LED Yes Yes
Power Supply 100-240 VAC Deluxe Standard
Ball Winder Clamps Yes, 2 Yes, 2
On/off switch Yes, rear Panel Yes, on top
Retail Price $300.00 $225.00
$265 (Plus)
Warranty (Commercial) 1 Year 1 Year
 
The main difference between the 2 power bases is in the electronics system. As a result, the original Power Base has more bells and whistles and is full featured. The Power Base Lite does not have all of these features but it very capably fulfills the primary function of motorizing the Ball Winder and at a discounted price. The construction of both units is very similar and incorporates a hardwood cabinet and guard.
 
Details on some of the Differences
Instead of a membrane switch panel, the user has a rotary speed control which some people may find easier to use. This is an analog control whereas the membrane switch is digital on the standard Power  Base. 
 
The Lite version does not include a reverse direction function or foot pedal interface.  Nor can it be directly connected to the Electronic Yarn Meter. However, this does not mean that the user cannot use it with the new Electronic Yarn Meter, it just means that the Meter cannot automatically turn off the Power Base. 
 
The Lite version uses the original motor (500 RPM) which has previously been used with the standard Power Base until now. The standard Power Base will now have a higher speed motor (800 RPM) as a free feature upgrade in all new sales as of June 2009. Either speed motor works fine and will get the job done.

The new Power Base Lite PLUS includes the higher speed 800 RPM motor housed on the Lite platform.

Important note on Motor Speed
 All motor speed information listed within this website refers to the effective speed of the system. In other words, when an 800 rpm speed is listed it means that the motor RPM, combined with the speed-up pulley between the motor and the ball winder (1.5x) and the 5x gearing system within the ball winder will result in a speed of 800 rpm at the spindle.

The two motors that we currently offer have the following characteristics:

Characteristic by Motor type Std Speed High Speed
Rated Speed RPM 71 135
Speed up Pulley 1.5X 1.5X
BW Gearing 5X 5X
Max Speed at Spindle RPM 532 1012
Effective Max Speed RPM 80% 426 810
Rated Torque oz in 114 64

Both motors are from the same motor family. One is geared down more than the other and as a result, its overall speed is less but its torque is greater.
The torque for both motors is enough to handle normal motorized ball winder applications. If the user has an unusually heavy load that they need to pull onto the ball winder, they should discuss their application with us prior to purchasing a Power Base.  






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