Author Topic: DIY transformer - component naming, and where to get them  (Read 1829 times)

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Offline andybrandiTopic starter

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DIY transformer - component naming, and where to get them
« on: October 01, 2019, 06:17:22 pm »
Hi. I'm planning to build my own transformers. (Of course I could use off-the-shelf ones or just salvage, but that would be no fun.) In this video:

https://youtu.be/s6NyTprQCBI?t=898

you can see the guy using a plastic transformer "skeleton", as well as iron sheets for the core.

Could anyone tell me the proper names of the above parts, and possibly a place to get them from for reasonable prices? (AliExpress isn't helping, and Google only gets me lots of Transformers toys, but maybe that is because I don't know what to search for.)

Thanks!
 

Offline T3sl4co1l

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Re: DIY transformer - component naming, and where to get them
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2019, 06:19:12 pm »
Bobbin / former. :)

Tim
Seven Transistor Labs, LLC
Electronic design, from concept to prototype.
Bringing a project to life?  Send me a message!
 

Offline strawberry

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Re: DIY transformer - component naming, and where to get them
« Reply #2 on: October 02, 2019, 07:06:20 pm »
https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/transformer-lamination-e-core.html there are other fancy core shapes as well.
bobbin can be made out of FR4 (clean no copper) or electrical cardboard

 

Offline andybrandiTopic starter

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Re: DIY transformer - component naming, and where to get them
« Reply #3 on: October 02, 2019, 08:47:05 pm »
Thanks everyone, that clarifies the terminology!

As for buying the laminates/iron sheets, these seem to be quite abundant on Alibaba (thanks @strawberry for the link!), but only in integer multiples of 1 metric ton... guess I'll have to look somewhere else. At least I know what to google for now.
 

Offline strawberry

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Re: DIY transformer - component naming, and where to get them
« Reply #4 on: October 02, 2019, 10:28:32 pm »
try Indel , Hammond mfg , or other tube transformer makers who could helpout with some raw material
there are some skilled tube amplifier transformer winders out there on youtube as well
« Last Edit: October 02, 2019, 10:36:39 pm by strawberry »
 

Offline johnkenyon

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Re: DIY transformer - component naming, and where to get them
« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2019, 11:33:05 am »
The white plastic is called bobbin, and the iron sheet is called laminate.

The iron sheet forms "laminations" (a pointer, just in case a search doesn't throw up what you want/need)

 

Offline scatterandfocus

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Re: DIY transformer - component naming, and where to get them
« Reply #6 on: October 03, 2019, 12:34:32 pm »
Applied Science made an informative video on some basics of magnetics, which is very relative to making a transformer:

 

Offline andy3055

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Re: DIY transformer - component naming, and where to get them
« Reply #7 on: October 05, 2019, 05:53:33 pm »
Thanks everyone, that clarifies the terminology!

As for buying the laminates/iron sheets, these seem to be quite abundant on Alibaba (thanks @strawberry for the link!), but only in integer multiples of 1 metric ton... guess I'll have to look somewhere else. At least I know what to google for now.

Alibaba is wholesale, AliExpress is B2C.

I hope you are not toying with the idea of buying iron sheets. If so, you will need to buy a machine to cut them in to the required size/shape as well unless you plan on doing it as a business.
 

Offline james_s

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Re: DIY transformer - component naming, and where to get them
« Reply #8 on: October 06, 2019, 05:43:59 am »
I've bought cores and bobbins from Bridgeport Magnetics, they will sell small quantities and have various core styles.
 


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