LoomForge

Scope of supply — LoomForge supplies engineering plans, digital design files, software, and supporting documentation only. No physical machine or assembled equipment is supplied. The receiving manufacturer or its appointed machine builder must procure or fabricate the parts, assemble the equipment, and perform the necessary engineering review, safety assessment, calibration, testing, and application-specific validation before use. The current package is a development design and is not represented as production-ready or certified.

Manufacturer-led implementation — We provide the plans and digital package. The receiving manufacturer or its appointed machine builder is responsible for procurement, fabrication, assembly, safeguarding, commissioning, calibration, operator training, maintenance, and application-specific validation.

LoomForge is an early engineering prototype for a modular benchtop workstation that inserts pre-crimped wires into one supported connector family and verifies the completed connector through a mating electrical test interface.

Intended Applications and Target Organizations

LoomForge is being developed for engineering and manufacturing teams working on small-batch wiring assemblies, including applications relevant to aerospace, robotics, automotive development, industrial automation, and electronics manufacturing. Named organizations are prospective application targets identified through public research. No affiliation, endorsement, customer relationship, or purchasing interest is implied.

The package is for review, engineering-package export, compatibility evaluation, fabrication/procurement planning, manufacturer-led assembly/commissioning, and manufacturer-led validation. It does not offer checkout, shipping, installation, or certification services.

Status

This repository contains a functioning local simulation and engineering design package. Nothing here is evidence of physical performance, machinery safety compliance, production readiness, or aerospace qualification. Simulation reports and the UI are deliberately marked SIMULATED.

The initial proposed differentiator is faster, mechanically keyed fixture/recipe changeover for small-batch work—not broad novelty in automated harness assembly.

First selected system (provisional but sourced)

Molex Mini-Fit Jr. 4-circuit receptacle housing 39-01-2040, with 39-00-0038 female crimp terminals on 18–24 AWG stranded wire. See connector selection. The system is selected because Molex publishes an insertion-force requirement (15 N maximum) and a practical test plug exists (44281-0001). Exact housing drawing dimensions and the final wire/terminal supplier availability must be confirmed against controlled manufacturer documents before fabrication.

Run the simulated acceptance demonstration

Requires only Python 3.11+.

python -m unittest discover -s tests -v
python -m software.backend.loomforge.cli run recipes/examples/mini_fit_4c.json --scenario success --database reports/loomforge.sqlite
python -m software.backend.loomforge.cli run recipes/examples/mini_fit_4c.json --scenario incorrect_connection --database reports/loomforge.sqlite
python -m software.backend.loomforge.cli export JOB_ID reports/JOB_ID.json --database reports/loomforge.sqlite
python -m software.backend.loomforge.cli serve --database reports/loomforge.sqlite

Open http://127.0.0.1:8787. The server is local-only and simulation-only. It will not fall back to a simulated adapter if a future physical adapter disconnects.

Regenerate CAD

Install OpenSCAD, then run:

openscad -o hardware/mechanical/exports/loomforge-assembly.stl hardware/mechanical/source/loomforge.scad

The model is a parametric, conceptual envelope assembly—not a released fabrication model. See CAD README.

Evidence boundaries

• Sourced: manufacturer specifications and links in docs/research/sources.md.
• Calculated: reproducible values in calculations/preliminary_sizing.py.
• Simulated: job outcomes, synthetic force curves, and test results produced by the simulator.
• Physical verification: not performed. The first experiment is specified in docs/validation/physical-validation-plan.md.

Repository guide

• software/backend/loomforge: typed-domain Python simulation, persistence, protocol boundary, and local API
• recipes: declarative recipe examples and rejected examples
• hardware: parametric CAD source, electrical/wiring artifacts, fixture definition, and BOM
• docs: research, architecture, safety, manufacturing, validation, and operator material
• calculations: executable preliminary engineering calculations

License and marks

Repository material is available under the MIT License. See TRADEMARKS.md for name/mark use and no-endorsement boundaries.