Approaches

These are some design patterns I find popping up throughout my work building cheap, easy to manufacture machines. Over the term, as we discover more, we can add to this as a kind of cookbook.

Preloaded Linear Ways

I spoke about backlash earlier, so I want to show how I eliminate it in the Clank axis:

roller-pl

only as stiff (in preload direction) as the flexural spring
not adjustable, could be

Drawing Involutes

Drawing GT2

From the aaxis log

gt2

Or,

Cheap Tension

integrates motor mount with belt tension
note causes belt alignment to change slightly
from prusa

The Winch-Capstan

Capstan drives are typically used in shorter travel environments, since each wrap takes up height on the pulley, long travels end up requiring extremely tall capstans. This winch design pattern doubles up the capstan and trades line back-and-forth, allowing us to wrap multiple times but maintian a static take-on / take-off point for the line.

capstan-beehive