In the winches of cable-driven parallel robots (CDPRs), the transmission ratio between motor torque and cable force is determined by the drum radius. 3D printing allows the design of variable radius drums (VRDs), where the local drum radius can be individually adjusted for each cable length. Within a desired workspace, the maximum load profile is determined. Based on this, a winding path is calculated so that a specific maximum torque is reached, for each cable length. A drum shape is created such that a groove guides the cable on the winding path. For a purely translational 2T demonstration robot, the design steps are performed and a corresponding VRD is manufactured. This is compared with a conventional constant radius drum (CRD).