Mobius Gear (möbius)

cults3d

This is a planetary gear-set in the shape of a möbius strip. https://youtu.be/SWDNbc3FIB8 Inspired by Johannes Santen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSZXRVl68qI) way back in 2009, I believed it could be done without the use of flexible parts. This project is what bugged me to finally get into 3d printing, and I'm not sure there is any other manufacturing method well suited to make this design. As a result, it is a great demonstrator of 3d printing technology, plus a nice desk toy. As the planets orbit, the gear pitch (distance between teeth) changes to accommodate the rotation; at the top of the möbius gear, the planets on the outside traveling the furthest utilize the inner-most (largest) pitch, while those on the inner circle utilize the outer-most (smallest) pitch. This varies throughout the cycle, to allow all the gears to run at a consistent spacing.