Cageless Ball Bearing

youmagine

I'm working on a ball bearing without a cage, which requires a lot of patience to assemble. I'll make some minor adjustments to improve print quality. The design is meant to hold 27 balls in three levels, but using just two levels would be easier, although it would compromise the bearing's ability to handle longitudinal loads. Update: It took me two prototypes to get this version right, and all printing issues should now be resolved. I switched to M5 screw dimensions because I only had M3 screws available initially. The new installation concept doesn't need a clockmaker's hand; simply print it, put the balls in place, and screw everything together. Update 2: Unfortunately, the gap is still too wide, causing the balls to fall out. Update 3: I designed a small tool for assembly, which broke during use but functioned as intended when testing its design. The concept works, but the tolerances need some fine-tuning; right now, it only moves if the outer screws are slightly loose.