Mendel Inspired Drop-In Makerbot Y-Stage

cults3d

I was fascinated by Mendel research and stumbled upon an outstanding video explaining how its axes work: http://vimeo.com/6982104. This discovery inspired me to attempt building my own, so I started with Makerbot's y-stage. There are two versions of this design available: one for vintage makerbots and the other for newer models. The makerbot whose axes I'm redesigning is an old-timer with the original 8mm steel rods (compared to the current ~6.3mm). Thankfully, parametric modeling allows me to easily modify the design to accommodate the new rods by simply changing a couple of dimensions. I've conducted extensive testing using the y-stage (both versions) and found it performs amazingly well. Several benefits of this more intricate and arguably over-engineered design include: 1. The force applied by the drive belt doesn't matter where it's located on the stage, ensuring that no torque will ever jam or stick the stage. 2. This means I can significantly reduce power to the y-stage. My bot is now as close to silent as possible when moving straight in the y-direction. 3. It handles variability in the rods much better than the current design. Even if the rods aren't perfectly parallel, it works just fine. However, this design is only 90% complete. Everything functions wonderfully except I'm struggling to find a suitable way to attach and arrange the drive belt. As it stands, I'm using a bolt and some washers to secure it and letting the other side of the belt (which moves in the opposite direction) rub against the inside of one of the printed parts. This is far from ideal but works for now. I plan to tackle the x-stage soon and maybe rearrange the y-bars to see if I can come up with a solution there. I'll keep you updated. Additionally, here's a video of some early testing: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24375810@N06/4630595409