Customizable Ball Bearing with Flange Generator

thingiverse

This is a highly customizable ball bearing generator designed to create pairs of precision ball bearings suitable for holding Hatchbox 1kg filament spools on half inch rods. My primary objective was to develop a tool that would help me practice OpenSCAD programming, while also achieving the robust design aesthetic seen in various online models. To accomplish this, I built upon the body of code from http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:822960 and incorporated elements from http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1570238 to create a more durable bearing. Although thing:822960 is a reliable resource, it has some limitations - its large flat surfaces make removal from raft challenging, and the central hub can be somewhat weak. Thing:1570238 offers a more robust design but does not provide an OpenSCAD file, prompting me to generate my own. The height of the bearing matches that of the bearing ball diameter; however, it is essential to determine the optimal number of balls for each application, as too small a size can lead to printing difficulties. I successfully printed this custom bearing using a Micro 3D printer with white PLA filament. To achieve smooth results, I employed raft and support structures, which required minimal effort to clean up after printing was complete. Experimenting with different tolerance values is recommended to customize the design according to specific needs. Print Settings: Printer: Micro 3D M3D Rafts: Doesn't Matter Supports: Yes Resolution: 0.25 Infill: 0 to any Notes: A must-have for support, here's my Cura setting: Structure type: Lines Overhang angle for support (Deg): 45 Fill amount (%): 30 Distance X/Y (mm): 0.5 Distance Z (mm): 0.15