3D Design Courses and Resources
Hello, friends,
I've been using OpenSCAD for almost two years now to design and 3D print
various “things” to help my wife and I live our lives. But, now I want to
build A MACHINE!. Specifically, I am designing an apparatus that uses a
laser pointer, two AS5600 sensors, and an ESP32 microcontroller to measure
Azimuth & Elevation to a target.
The software is no problem, I am a retired Software Engineer. I am really
struggling, however, with the physical, hardware design of the machine that
I need.
My question to you learned people: Are there online (free?) resources
online that help to teach basic machine design? I don’t want typical
Mechanical Engineering courses that start with stress and failure modes,
just practical examples of horizontal and vertical rotating platforms.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
I don't know of any resources and I have nor formal training myself but I
did make a solar tracker that points a panel at the sun, so that seems like
a similar application. I used two tiny geared steppers with metal pulleys
and short belt loops driving much larger printed pulleys.
The azimuth pulley was attached to a pillar so the head rotates itself
around that and the elevation pulley was only half a pulley. I use a
counterweight to balance the heavy panel. The motors don't have a lot of
torque and are switched off most of the time to save power.
The small gear motors have a lot of backlash. Not a problem for elevation
as gravity eliminates it but for a laser pointer you would perhaps want to
use something better. Also to track the sun it only needs to move very
slowly. You might want bigger motors to move quickly or perhaps servos.
[image: main_assembled.png]
On Fri, 9 Dec 2022 at 05:01, Leonard Martin Struttmann <
lenstruttmann@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello, friends,
I've been using OpenSCAD for almost two years now to design and 3D print
various “things” to help my wife and I live our lives. But, now I want to
build A MACHINE!. Specifically, I am designing an apparatus that uses a
laser pointer, two AS5600 sensors, and an ESP32 microcontroller to measure
Azimuth & Elevation to a target.
The software is no problem, I am a retired Software Engineer. I am really
struggling, however, with the physical, hardware design of the machine that
I need.
My question to you learned people: Are there online (free?) resources
online that help to teach basic machine design? I don’t want typical
Mechanical Engineering courses that start with stress and failure modes,
just practical examples of horizontal and vertical rotating platforms.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
OpenSCAD mailing list
To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org
On 12/9/22 03:46, nop head wrote:
I don't know of any resources and I have nor formal training myself but
I did make a solar tracker that points a panel at the sun, so that seems
like a similar application. I used two tiny geared steppers with metal
pulleys and short belt loops driving much larger printed pulleys.
The azimuth pulley was attached to a pillar so the head rotates itself
around that and the elevation pulley was only half a pulley. I use a
counterweight to balance the heavy panel. The motors don't have a lot of
torque and are switched off most of the time to save power.
The small gear motors have a lot of backlash. Not a problem for
elevation as gravity eliminates it but for a laser pointer you would
perhaps want to use something better. Also to track the sun it only
needs to move very slowly. You might want bigger motors to move quickly
or perhaps servos.
main_assembled.png
On Fri, 9 Dec 2022 at 05:01, Leonard Martin Struttmann
<lenstruttmann@gmail.com mailto:lenstruttmann@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello, friends,
I've been using OpenSCAD for almost two years now to design and 3D
print various “things” to help my wife and I live our lives. But,
now I want to build A MACHINE!. Specifically, I am designing an
apparatus that uses a laser pointer, two AS5600 sensors, and an
ESP32 microcontroller to measure Azimuth & Elevation to a target.
The software is no problem, I am a retired Software Engineer. I am
really struggling, however, with the physical, hardware design of
the machine that I need.
My question to you learned people: Are there online (free?)
resources online that help to teach basic machine design? I don’t
want typical Mechanical Engineering courses that start with stress
and failure modes, just practical examples of horizontal and
vertical rotating platforms.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Your block diagram looks ok, but I would have 3 control loops.
- to track the sun when its not cloudy.
2 to track according to time of day when it is cloudy. Use that one to
preposition for dawn to give 1 a head start on charging your batteries.
- one to stow it, protecting it from bad weather during the night or
really dark skies. Hailstones can and will do damage to those.
Protect the back, and turn it completely over in bad weather.
Since bad weather can happen anytime, the turnover should not take more
than 10 minutes which can be done with small motors given enough geardown.
An ideal place for harmonic drives as the first stage geardown. Loose
belt versions with 100/1 ratios can be printed, no need to spend $2500
each for metal ones. I've done it at 50/1 in 90mm diameter assemblies.
Gear ratios in plastic are limited by the printers definition.
Strength=use PETG filament.
I'd add a third servo motor, to move the counterweight up and down the
length of the arm to keep balance when snow piles up on it. Put a
floating dual idler on the last drive belt to measure the out of balance
for the error signal to move the counterweight. Measure with a strain
gauge. Could also be used to dump snow automatically when sky is bright
enough but output is going down.
_______________________________________________
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<mailto:discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org>
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Cheers, Gene Heskett.
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author, 1940)
If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.
- Louis D. Brandeis
Genes Web page http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/
LOL, I think you overestimated the size. I pick it up with one hand and
take it indoors when the weather is bad.
Yes, it gets confused when it is cloudy. I have an RTC and a 3 axis
accelerometer and magnetometer, so I can orient to where the sun should be
when I get around to updating it.
On Fri, 9 Dec 2022 at 11:14, gene heskett gheskett@shentel.net wrote:
On 12/9/22 03:46, nop head wrote:
I don't know of any resources and I have nor formal training myself but
I did make a solar tracker that points a panel at the sun, so that seems
like a similar application. I used two tiny geared steppers with metal
pulleys and short belt loops driving much larger printed pulleys.
The azimuth pulley was attached to a pillar so the head rotates itself
around that and the elevation pulley was only half a pulley. I use a
counterweight to balance the heavy panel. The motors don't have a lot of
torque and are switched off most of the time to save power.
The small gear motors have a lot of backlash. Not a problem for
elevation as gravity eliminates it but for a laser pointer you would
perhaps want to use something better. Also to track the sun it only
needs to move very slowly. You might want bigger motors to move quickly
or perhaps servos.
main_assembled.png
On Fri, 9 Dec 2022 at 05:01, Leonard Martin Struttmann
<lenstruttmann@gmail.com mailto:lenstruttmann@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello, friends,
I've been using OpenSCAD for almost two years now to design and 3D
print various “things” to help my wife and I live our lives. But,
now I want to build A MACHINE!. Specifically, I am designing an
apparatus that uses a laser pointer, two AS5600 sensors, and an
ESP32 microcontroller to measure Azimuth & Elevation to a target.
The software is no problem, I am a retired Software Engineer. I am
really struggling, however, with the physical, hardware design of
the machine that I need.
My question to you learned people: Are there online (free?)
resources online that help to teach basic machine design? I don’t
want typical Mechanical Engineering courses that start with stress
and failure modes, just practical examples of horizontal and
vertical rotating platforms.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Your block diagram looks ok, but I would have 3 control loops.
- to track the sun when its not cloudy.
2 to track according to time of day when it is cloudy. Use that one to
preposition for dawn to give 1 a head start on charging your batteries.
- one to stow it, protecting it from bad weather during the night or
really dark skies. Hailstones can and will do damage to those.
Protect the back, and turn it completely over in bad weather.
Since bad weather can happen anytime, the turnover should not take more
than 10 minutes which can be done with small motors given enough geardown.
An ideal place for harmonic drives as the first stage geardown. Loose
belt versions with 100/1 ratios can be printed, no need to spend $2500
each for metal ones. I've done it at 50/1 in 90mm diameter assemblies.
Gear ratios in plastic are limited by the printers definition.
Strength=use PETG filament.
I'd add a third servo motor, to move the counterweight up and down the
length of the arm to keep balance when snow piles up on it. Put a
floating dual idler on the last drive belt to measure the out of balance
for the error signal to move the counterweight. Measure with a strain
gauge. Could also be used to dump snow automatically when sky is bright
enough but output is going down.
_______________________________________________
OpenSCAD mailing list
To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org
<mailto:discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org>
OpenSCAD mailing list
To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org
Cheers, Gene Heskett.
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author, 1940)
If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.
- Louis D. Brandeis
Genes Web page http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/
OpenSCAD mailing list
To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org
Hi,
I am an retired software-<any subcategory>, too. My technical ability in
mechanics was limited to building-kits (Fishertechnic). The great thing
about OpenSCAD when using it to generate 3D plastic prints is I can
iterate. A print is cheap on your own printer.
https://hackaday.io/project/169074/gallery#cf5f556980a5675f4a8045a469d1e62b
is my most ambitious mechanical model - a fivehanded clock.
The main takeaways from this, for me, was: tolerances, slack, plastic
flexes and moment-arm or cantilever effects have to be conquered or
bypassed.
One youtubechannel is Gzumwalt who does lots of whimsical mechanical
"toys". Example: https://youtu.be/CT219RSS_7I I asked him if he had a box
of failed prints, and he replied "ONE box ??" In other words even a retired
airspace engineer iterates. (yeah he uses fusion 360 but the models can be
created in OpenSCAD as well)
And that is my suggestion: Design, print, find flaw (does not fit, too
thin, to heavy, cant turn, does not stay ...) and try again.
Msquare
fre. 9. dec. 2022 06.00 skrev Leonard Martin Struttmann <
lenstruttmann@gmail.com>:
Hello, friends,
I've been using OpenSCAD for almost two years now to design and 3D print
various “things” to help my wife and I live our lives. But, now I want to
build A MACHINE!. Specifically, I am designing an apparatus that uses a
laser pointer, two AS5600 sensors, and an ESP32 microcontroller to measure
Azimuth & Elevation to a target.
The software is no problem, I am a retired Software Engineer. I am really
struggling, however, with the physical, hardware design of the machine that
I need.
My question to you learned people: Are there online (free?) resources
online that help to teach basic machine design? I don’t want typical
Mechanical Engineering courses that start with stress and failure modes,
just practical examples of horizontal and vertical rotating platforms.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
OpenSCAD mailing list
To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org
Probably all too basic, but...
Here are one link/book which may be of interest:
http://507movements.com/
and I started something of a list at:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/21394355-william-adams?ref=nav_mybooks&shelf=cnc#
based on discussion at:
https://forum.makerforums.info/t/books-on-math-and-geometry/86399
William