Printrbot Simple Acme rod coupling

thingiverse

The Printrbot Simple utilizes a 1/4" Acme threaded rod for its Z-axis and initially comes with a vinyl tubing piece as a motor shaft coupler. Unfortunately, we lost this part, necessitating the printing of an alternative coupling solution. Both the coupler and nut are straightforward to print without support structures. Depending on your motor's shaft diameter, you may need to widen the shaft hole slightly or heat the PLA part with a hairdryer for ease of installation. A single screw is sufficient for flatted shaft motors, while round shaft motors can use both provided screw spots. The coupling itself has a tight grip on the Acme rod, but a printed nut is available to secure components if necessary; just apply finger-tightening force. To customize the parts in OpenSCAD, you'll require the Thread Library for the Acme screw threads, available at http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:8793.