Lars' Ultralight XY Blocks

[lars86 42]

Hi guys,

After switching to a GT2 belt configuration, and needing a solid belt clamping mechanism without the complications of integrated tensioning, I decided to design my own XY blocks.

The factory bronze bushings are very prone to clamping deformation and bind, so I wanted something with separate bushing and belt clamping. I designed these around some replacement bushings I got from Robotdigg that have a 12mm OD instead of the stock 11mm. If there is some interest, I can kick out an 11mm version as well.

I made allowances to insert M3 nuts into the blocks for all connections, so no plastic threads are relied on. The one exception being that I left holes in the block back face to thread in an M3 bolt in various positions to trip the limit switches. This means all 4 blocks are identical prints, and you decide which need a bolt, where, for limit switch triggering.

One of the biggest benefits of this design is the ability to square the print head by loosening a single bolt on each block to release the belt. This means no more fumbling with pulley set screws! The other benefit of this is that once the belt is released, there is almost no drag compared to loosening pulleys where you are still moving belts and spinning pulleys on the 8mm shafts. This gives you a MUCH more clear picture of how freely your print head moves. I actually discovered that my printed print head was holding the 6mm shafts slightly out of square, so forcing them square to the 8mm shafts actually induced bind! You can simply loosen the belt clamps on two opposing XY blocks, move the print head back and forth by hand and reclamp.

https://www.youmagine.com/designs/lars-ultralight-ultimaker-xy-blocks

Edited July 4, 2015 by Guest

[mastory 44]

Nice well thought out design Lars! Do the GT2 belts have good tension without needing adjustment? Do you have a way to adjust them?

[lars86 42]

Nice well thought out design Lars!  Do the GT2 belts have good tension without needing adjustment?  Do you have a way to adjust them?

 

Thanks!

With 606mm GT2 belts and 20 tooth pulleys, I found no need for additional tensioning. If anything they start out a bit snug, but seem to have relaxed a bit after some use.

These should work just fine with the stock MXL belts as well. At first my belt clamps had a negative of the GT2 belt profile (which looked cool and fit perfectly), but they forced you into increments of belt pitch. My newer smooth clamp design lets you clamp anywhere, and removes the need to loosen pulleys for alignment.

[lars86 42]

Uploaded an 11mm bushing version as well.

[ataraxis 51]

Nice done Lars and thank you for sharing!

Can you upload some real pictures maybe? Thank you

[aviphysics 9]

Looks nice.

[lars86 42]

[onkelgeorg 36]

Hi Lars,

nice design. Which print head is that in your photos?

Cheers,

Joerg

[lars86 42]

Hi Lars,

nice design. Which print head is that in your photos?

Cheers,

Joerg

 

Thanks Joerg!

The print head is full custom. One of a kind currently.

I'm actually modeling up a complete new print head / hot end now. It is a much more minimalistic design, and should save a ton of weight. I think that I have some very solid ideas on improving the hot end to allow high temp use, eliminate jamming and excess friction.

I have some 4/5 axis mill turn machines at my work that I can use to make prototypes, and am trying to refine the design for best manufacturability. Hoping it could be feasible to do some production runs.

I'm also considering making the print head out of billet aluminum as well (versus printed), to ensure perpendicularity between linear bearings, rigidity, and to help dissipate heat.

Edited July 31, 2015 by Guest

[onkelgeorg 36]

ok, thanks for information. sounds really interesting. I'm looking forward to see your final printhead design

[Rudy102 1]

Hi there, really good project. Is it possible for You to upload your cad files? I want to use Igus linear bushings whith have 10mm OD. I need to change it in design, but I cant do it with stl files from Youmagine :/ Or can You change that for me?

[lars86 42]

Hi there, really good project. Is it possible for You to upload your cad files? I want to use Igus linear bushings whith have 10mm OD. I need to change it in design, but I cant do it with stl files from Youmagine :/ Or can You change that for me?

 

Hey @Rudy102, I went ahead and published a version for you.

In return. you just have to let me know how the Igus bushings compare! I've been using a lot of their products lately, and even printed some of their filament. Good stuff.

I also added a new tighter belt clamp variant. I think some people have had issues with a lack of clamping force, which could be caused by layer height settings causing the clamp to be too thin.

[Rudy102 1]

 

Hi there, really good project. Is it possible for You to upload your cad files? I want to use Igus linear bushings whith have 10mm OD. I need to change it in design, but I cant do it with stl files from Youmagine :/ Or can You change that for me?

 

Hey @Rudy102, I went ahead and published a version for you.

In return. you just have to let me know how the Igus bushings compare! I've been using a lot of their products lately, and even printed some of their filament.  Good stuff.

I also added a new tighter belt clamp variant. I think some people have had issues with a lack of clamping force, which could be caused by layer height settings causing the clamp to be too thin.

 

Thanks a lot @lars86!

I will print them and tell You how they came out. Unfortunatelly my ultimaker is still in building phase (waiting for motherboard).

Im using Igus WSM-0810-15 bushings with their AWMP-08 rods. The issue is that the bushings should be fitted with H7, otherway there will be some play.

[lars86 42]

 

 

Hi there, really good project. Is it possible for You to upload your cad files? I want to use Igus linear bushings whith have 10mm OD. I need to change it in design, but I cant do it with stl files from Youmagine :/ Or can You change that for me?

 

Hey @Rudy102, I went ahead and published a version for you.

In return. you just have to let me know how the Igus bushings compare! I've been using a lot of their products lately, and even printed some of their filament.  Good stuff.

I also added a new tighter belt clamp variant. I think some people have had issues with a lack of clamping force, which could be caused by layer height settings causing the clamp to be too thin.

 

Thanks a lot @lars86!

I will print them and tell You how they came out. Unfortunatelly my ultimaker is still in building phase (waiting for motherboard).

Im using Igus WSM-0810-15 bushings with their AWMP-08 rods. The issue is that the bushings should be fitted with H7, otherway there will be some play.

 

I have actually found that even in the proper press fit, their bushings are closer to the top of quoted tolerance. Hopefully you can get enough out of the clamping bolt to snug it up well and tune the fit. That bolts threads into a real nut, so you should be able to clamp pretty hard.

You might also be able to source shafts with a bigger nominal size that fit nicely.

Are you worried at all about extra deflection from using aluminum shafts?

[airgraphix 1]

The 8x12mm bushings on the E3D website is perfect for these

[Rudy102 1]

 

 

 

Hi there, really good project. Is it possible for You to upload your cad files? I want to use Igus linear bushings whith have 10mm OD. I need to change it in design, but I cant do it with stl files from Youmagine :/ Or can You change that for me?

 

Hey @Rudy102, I went ahead and published a version for you.

In return. you just have to let me know how the Igus bushings compare! I've been using a lot of their products lately, and even printed some of their filament.  Good stuff.

I also added a new tighter belt clamp variant. I think some people have had issues with a lack of clamping force, which could be caused by layer height settings causing the clamp to be too thin.

 

Thanks a lot @lars86!

I will print them and tell You how they came out. Unfortunatelly my ultimaker is still in building phase (waiting for motherboard).

Im using Igus WSM-0810-15 bushings with their AWMP-08 rods. The issue is that the bushings should be fitted with H7, otherway there will be some play.

 

I have actually found that even in the proper press fit, their bushings are closer to the top of quoted tolerance. Hopefully you can get enough out of the clamping bolt to snug it up well and tune the fit. That bolts threads into a real nut, so you should be able to clamp pretty hard.

You might also be able to source shafts with a bigger nominal size that fit nicely.

Are you worried at all about extra deflection from using aluminum shafts?

 

Well, it's not going to work. I have returned the igus shafts and bushings, the fit is too lose. The only way to go with igus is to press fit the bushings with H7 fitting, which I won't be able to get with printed parts :/

Im sticking to original bushings on 8mm shafts, but I will give a shot for igus RJMP 6mm on print head with their rods.

[lars86 42]

That sucks.

[airgraphix 1]

How do you trigger limit switches with these

[lars86 42]

 

 

 

 

Hi there, really good project. Is it possible for You to upload your cad files? I want to use Igus linear bushings whith have 10mm OD. I need to change it in design, but I cant do it with stl files from Youmagine :/ Or can You change that for me?

 

Hey @Rudy102, I went ahead and published a version for you.

In return. you just have to let me know how the Igus bushings compare! I've been using a lot of their products lately, and even printed some of their filament.  Good stuff.

I also added a new tighter belt clamp variant. I think some people have had issues with a lack of clamping force, which could be caused by layer height settings causing the clamp to be too thin.

 

Thanks a lot @lars86!

I will print them and tell You how they came out. Unfortunatelly my ultimaker is still in building phase (waiting for motherboard).

Im using Igus WSM-0810-15 bushings with their AWMP-08 rods. The issue is that the bushings should be fitted with H7, otherway there will be some play.

 

I have actually found that even in the proper press fit, their bushings are closer to the top of quoted tolerance. Hopefully you can get enough out of the clamping bolt to snug it up well and tune the fit. That bolts threads into a real nut, so you should be able to clamp pretty hard.

You might also be able to source shafts with a bigger nominal size that fit nicely.

Are you worried at all about extra deflection from using aluminum shafts?

 

Well, it's not going to work. I have returned the igus shafts and bushings, the fit is too lose. The only way to go with igus is to press fit the bushings with H7 fitting, which I won't be able to get with printed parts :/

Im sticking to original bushings on 8mm shafts, but I will give a shot for igus RJMP 6mm on print head with their rods.

 

You should email an igus rep. They are really helpful, and might have an easy solution, that doesn't require a press fit.

[lars86 42]

How do you trigger limit switches with these

 

There are holes in the back face to install M3 bolts, which trigger the switches.

[jeracom 4]

I have the "Lars' Ultralight XY Blocks" also running. I'm excited. But I use "Belt Tensioner", which push at the blocks. That's why I've milled a corner free. Would be great if there was still a design

Great Job

[lars86 42]

I have the "Lars' Ultralight XY Blocks" also running. I'm excited. But I use "Belt Tensioner", which push at the blocks. That's why I've milled a corner free. Would be great if there was still a design

Great Job

 

Glad you are liking them!

I haven't had to run tensioners since switching to GT2, so I didn't evaluate the headroom too much.

[jeracom 4]

 

I have the "Lars' Ultralight XY Blocks" also running. I'm excited. But I use "Belt Tensioner", which push at the blocks. That's why I've milled a corner free. Would be great if there was still a design

Great Job

 

Glad you are liking them!

I haven't had to run tensioners since switching to GT2, so I didn't evaluate the headroom too much.

 

I also have the GT2, but the timing belt is a tick longer. Therefore the tensioners. But, it goes like this :-)

[jeracom 4]

How much teeth does a toothed timming belt have? Mine has 305

[aerobubulle 40]

Hey,

Just printed the 4 blocks in PLATEC but... they're actually heavier than the previous ones.

I used 100% infill, and as they're called 'ultralight' I presume I made a mistake.

Which infill did you use ? Is it bad to have them 100% infill ?

Thanks