Differential Gearbox with Worm Gear Reduction

myminifactory

For the Sinterit Lisa contest, I aimed to showcase a design that could only be brought to life using the Lisa's capabilities. This custom creation is incompatible with my FDM printers and SLA printers would face significant challenges due to the need for intricate support structures to stabilize the gear teeth underneath and the narrow gaps between them when they mesh. This design features a differential gearbox with a worm gear reduction, designed to demonstrate several moving parts printed as one seamless piece, requiring numerous complicated support structures (or in the case of SLS printers, simply powder). A moving handle crank turns the worm and corresponding throated worm wheel, which is paired with bevel gears and pinions. This configuration allows each shaft to rotate at distinct rates and slip relative to each other if needed. A gearbox like this is essential in vehicles to enable wheels to skid when turning corners. The worm gear not only increases torque but also permits the engine to be mounted in a different orientation, offering future possibilities for versions with the worm gear rotated 90 degrees. I hope that my inability to print this design using my current printers does not jeopardize my entry in this competition. I will replace the rendered image with a 3D printed one as soon as someone (hopefully me) successfully prints it on the Sinterit Lisa.