New Linear Motion Option from Inventables

[nuclearnerd]

The site recommends a load limit of < 6lb per wheel, which would have limited its use in Recycle Rush robots. Given how many teams used steel bearing rollers on 2x1 aluminum tube this year, I wonder if that load limit is overly conservative for our purposes.

[asid61]

Those are often used in hobby CNC routers, like the Shapeoko. The way things are set up on it I would rather use bearings on 1x1 tubing or something similar.

[JesseK]

Looks like a quick way to capture a good linear slide in 3 dimensions using a minimal of parts. My 3D printer uses a similar setup. Maybe they're only a 6-lb load limit, but even that would be enough for something like the Simbots' most critical low-part item this year: their downward force tower (if it were shorter). To cut weight I'd mill a bit off the face of the thick pieces down the entire rail - but only if torsion wasn't an issue.

This would have also greatly saved us time in 2014 with our linear slide low power launch. We used the Igus linear slide stuff then, and man was it tough to assemble/adjust correctly so it didn't bind.

I'll have to keep this in mind for the coming year.