Cable controller CAD project

Justin BakerJustin Baker ✭
edited December 2019 in Fabrication
I just started working in CAD over the summer and decided to use the 3 axis puppet controller (from the tentacle mechanism course)* as a final project for my intro to cad course. While I got a perfect score on the project, I for the life of me couldn't figure out if they had bearings in them or if they are metal on metal gliding pivots. I am on to my second design of the controller and was wondering if I could get some information on how that articulation works. 

Post edited by Justin Baker on

Comments

  • Chris EllerbyChris Ellerby Admin
    Nice work on the CAD.  What's the significance of the second controller's design?

    I believe the controller we have (which this is based off) does have bearings.  I don't have access to it right now though.  I do know that if I were designing it I would 100% use bearings, as any friction is going to be working against the character's performance.

    /Chris
  • Justin BakerJustin Baker ✭
    edited December 2019
    The second design is a generative study to remove weight and consolidate parts while retaining the functionality of the original. CAD in fusion360 estimates the first controller with the baseplate to run around 26 lbs and 52 unique pieces of hardware. The second controller is estimated at 13 lbs., eliminates the need for the baseplate, and a large amount of the hardware. Simulations show it taking the same loads as the first controller with a factor of safety of 2. It would have to be manufactured on a 5-axis mill though versus on a manual machinist lathe or mill, which will likely put it out of my ability to manufacture.   

    I think my end goal is to take the generative study and design a sheet metal-based version with an I-beam structure. That design could be made with a simple plasma torch and welder versus having access to a mill and be close to the same weight as the generative controller. 

    I am going to go back and add some bearings into it. I thought gliding articulation sounded weird for a puppet controller but not having it in my hands, I had to make some guesses. 

    -Justin
    Post edited by Justin Baker on
  • Chris EllerbyChris Ellerby Admin
    Cool, sounds like it was a real challenge to make those optimizations.

    Expense is also a concern, as the billet size for the milled part would be a lot of aluminum! :smile:

    /Chris


  • Justin BakerJustin Baker ✭
    Yeah those would be some big pieces of stock indeed. Let's not even mention tooling time. I think the sheet metal version is going to be the real winner here in terms of cost, weight savings, and speed/ease of manufacture. I might try and get one of the smaller parts made on a 3d aluminum printer, just for fun. We normally apply these studies to things like aerospace and automotive designs, so it was a pretty cool side project to bring a manual cable controller into the design space. 

    Thanks for the information about the bearings, maybe I will actually build one of these designs in 2020. ^_^ 

    -Justin
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