3D Printed Robotic Arm

Basics

• A Robotic Arm which has most of its componets 3D Printed
• Reduces cost (ie no metal cutting needed), at the price of some small structual strength/enviromental hardening
• Great for prototyping, development, and indoor small-medium load use

Team Germany

https://hackaday.io/project/3800-3d-printable-robot-arm

Team Switzerland

Intro

• Skyentific
• A Youtube Channel, which has develpoed and tested a few iterations of this concept
• The Most Recent Design Uses:
  • ODrive
  • Large BLDC "hobby motors"
  • Rotary Encoders
  • Also has a custom control board/remote with all the needed electronics
• Not 100% completed, but the last few DOF/Axis are near complete (also some of this may be premade, but released slowly to satisfy the Youtube Content Treadmill
• Has 7DOF total

Notes

• Good one - RAMPS controlled. Need to program it via code.
• No feedback.
• Practical use case - if we can create software to generate toolpaths, this would be a practical welding robot when scaled up.
• Easy concept - 6 degrees of freedom, + 6 stepper drivers. Scalable - as drivers can be whatever size required.
• Great project for open source TB6600, open source Arduinos, 3D printing, 3d printed belts and bearings for larger size machines.

Download all files, GPLv3, from here:

git clone https://github.com/SkyentificGit/SmallRobotArm

Scalability

• Mechanically, this can be scaled up to whatever size stepper motor is available. with proper geometry, allowed forces can be large.
• Basics: if we have a 50lb force with a 1/2" pulley and 15mm GT2 belt - we can get to 500 lb pull readily on a 5" pulley! Good forces are allowed. We can probably get 5 kg load on the end effector for an industrial welding robot.

Internal Links

• Industrial Robotic Arm
• Skyentific