Railcore II Rock Hard Z-Yokes (FEA Optimized)

cults3d

I felt that the standard z-yokes were a bit too flexible and could put a twist on the lead screw nuts, which affects print quality. Upgrading to these rock-hard yokes that resemble granite is a must! First, I over-engineered a part filling the entire volume, then used Fusion 360's topology optimization tool to trim it down and provide optimal strength for the plastic volume. Since I liked the mesh, I decided to keep it as-is instead of smoothing it. There are two versions: one designed for standard rubber washers and another with a larger landing zone that can accommodate either the washers or my kinematic bed mounting system: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3724698 Both designs are slightly thicker than the original, which enhances stiffness but may reduce max z-height. If this is a concern, simply print them with a few mm sunk into the surface of the bed to trim the bottom off. I recommend printing these with plenty of perimeters and generous infill. I opted for 4 perimeters and 30% triangular infill myself. The Fusion 360 generated STLs split the object into two meshes. This prints fine in Prusa Slicer, but Simplify 3D requires going to the "Mesh" menu and selecting "Separate Connected Surfaces," or it won't print correctly. (If anyone knows how to fix this in Fusion 360, please share.) The Fusion 360 archive is provided with the topology optimization study. Feel free to remix it as you see fit!