Make a machine: the passive parts

• Choose a machine you would like to make

• Model and make the passive parts of the machine

After sharing some ideas, Michele and I decided that we could make something which can be useful in our Fablab, simple to build and flexible. XY directions were nice, but we wanted to work also about rotation. So that our starting point was to create a slider for camera which can translate in one direction and rotate around 2 rotation axis. I checked on internet and there were plenty of this project, some of them not very precise. I did some sketches and thought what would be the best way. Michele and I have decided to split the project and making of the machine. He will deal with the lower part, which concerns tha translation axes (X), I will work about the upper part, with the 2 rotation axes (Y,Z). Here is a sketch (not so beautiful, I know) of the upper part before trying to model with fusion.

Here I modeled a fast sketch in 3ds max.

With my tutor we discussed about the design and we thought it was better to simplify the project. Also, I tried to hide the stepper inside a 3d printed shell where I could eventually hide the boards as well. In our Fablab we have also some steel 10mm diamater balls, so I decided to build a quite large ball-bearing which will connect the 3 main parts.

Here is the Fusion file.

I used some online website to create the 2 gears that will let me spin the camera or any device fixed on the support. The website is: www.hessmer.org

Update: Redesign the machine

Since 3d printed pieces required a lot of time, I decided to remodel the upper part of the SliderBot using wood, plexiglass and the Laser Cutter, in order to have modular part which I could replace individually if not correct. With this approach I saved a lot of production time.

LASER CUTTING

After cutting all the pieces, I fixed everything together, also 3d printed gears.

The outcome is this:

DOWNLOAD FILES

PlexiCurves.dxf
PlywoodCurves.dxf
Cylinder.stl
Big Gear.stl
Small Gear.stl

Next step is to connect Arduino and CNC shield and make it work with GRBL and, if I will succeed, with Firefly and Grasshopper.

To make the frame more stable and use 1.2meters bars, I created a new frame made by wood, cutted with Epilog.