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Can you help with this design challenge?

A project log for 5+ Axis Robot Arm

Building an open source robot arm for makers and small businesses

dan-royerDan Royer 07/16/2015 at 20:042 Comments

Once again I've reached the limits of my experience. I'm designing a part and I need your help, obi-internet. Who knows how to build this right? I need to bounce this idea off you and see if it comes back sane.This is a side view cutaway of the anchor (bottom), shoudler (center) and boom (top left) of my latest attempt at an arm.This is a view from the rear, looking slightly down so you can see the holes and scale.The anchor is a lazy susan between two plates. The anchor bottom is bolted/clamped to the table. The anchor bottom and anchor top are bolted through the center and a small thrust bearing. The anchor top is (somehow) bolted to the shoulder. That's where I need your help.

I have a piston attached at the back of the shoulder and a bearing on the front of the shoulder. There's ~5N downward force on the tip of the arm. I want to be sure the shoulder isn't going to rip itself off the anchor. I want to be sure there's enough... bracing (?) so the shoulder doesn't fold over like a house of cards.

I haven't drawn the piece under the clevis because I have no idea if I'm working in the right direction.

Here are the dimensions of each part, in centimeters (cm).

This shoulder piece (above) is 1/4" wood. I can modify it any way I please. The large hole at the back of the shoulder provides access to the bolt that holds the piston on the clevis.
This clevis comes with a cotter pin and a bolt to attach to the piston. It's made of steel.
The anchor top is made of 1/4" wood. I can only make a few holes in the center, the rest is blocked by the lazy susan underneath.

I cannot yet afford a folding press and a water jet cutter. I have a 3D printer and I'm concerned anything I make will delaminate under moderate stress. My laser cutter can cut up to 1/4" on most woods. That means no folded pieces, no angled or sideways cuts into material.

So, mechanical turk internet experts, how do I do this with what I have?

PS: images hosted courtesy of imgur. Here's the gallery.

Discussions

Anton Krivosheyev wrote 07/17/2015 at 16:33 point

As you probably have already figured out, your problem is the NEMA17 motor at the elbow. It not only compromises the structural integrity of the arm, but it is also incredibly inefficient in that location. If you really want to keep using stepper motors, then it seems like you have only so many choices to make it work.

To fix your issue, you can modify your design to get that heavy-ass stepper motor closer to the base (which would allow your arm to freely manipulate your 5 N force at the gripper), or you could switch to gear-reduced DC motors. It's a tough compromise based on available evidence, and the datasheet for that stepper motor says that its weight-to-torque ratio won't work for your design.

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Dan Royer wrote 07/17/2015 at 17:07 point

I have updated the list of components to address the confusion.  My apologies!

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