Reciprocating ball reducer

thingiverse

This mechanism converts rotational motion to linear back-and-forth movement. It features a customizable design that can be scaled according to your requirements. The designer created it as a motion study and tested its efficiency on a 3D printer, finding it surprisingly effective. Initially, the device is hand-operated but can be easily motorized. In the manual mode, users need to hold the parts together while rotating for proper operation. The inventor encourages exploring various applications for this design. However, some modifications may be necessary based on your intended use, such as adding attachment points. A suggested starting point is a frequency of 3, with a 1-inch radius and height. Frequencies below 3 can cause binding, while smaller radios to amplitude ratios may also result in binding. To adjust the mechanism's parameters, edit mechanism.scad and set variables like amplitude, frequency, bearing radius, inner radius, outer radius, lip radius, lip height, and shaft radius. You can also tweak these settings on subsequent prints by modifying specific lines. Export STL files by commenting out unnecessary parts in the scad file. Note that rendering the sine_toroid_race may take a long time. To print, prepare 1 outer case, 1 torus race, 1 sine torus race, and N slides (where N is the frequency). Assemble the pieces by inserting components in the correct order, ensuring proper alignment of holes and balls. Finally, rotate the sine race via the lip while keeping the parts pressed together for smooth operation.