3D printed Vectored Intake Wheels

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#1

https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/118272-vectored-intake-wheels-for-frc

After a long journey through Chief Delphi, Thingiverse, and all sorts of weird vendors, trying to find an easy to print, highly functional Vectored Intake Wheels for FRC robots…
I have given up and decided to design my own
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A bit over 2"ø, optimized for function and low weight,
The model is easy to print (no supports) built from 2 identical parts for the body and 8 rollers
(if you want the different direction vector just mirror the two halves in the slicer)
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The two halves are connected with M4 bolts and nut
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A problem I found with many 3dp models of Vectored Intake Wheels is that the tolerances are usually optimized for the designer’s printer, with this design I made sure they come out perfect no matter what printer you are using.
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step files included for easy remixing
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Video of the wheels in action: ( https://youtu.be/XmSs_9v7Ytg )
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If you have any questions about the design please comment or feel free DM me

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#2

Neat project! Can you clarify what differences or unique features are in your design that allow it to be more universally printable? Off the top of my head, separating the wheel body halves and rollers into separate prints, which some other designs do as well, could definitely help in this regard.

For reference, I have printed 2910’s single print mecanum wheels (designed and printed with Markforged originally) out of a handful of materials using a non-Markforged printer with varying success. Some materials worked magically with my usual print settings, and others worked fine after modifying the clearances in the provided STEP files.

#3

Thank you for these. I modified them to be 4in with a 1/2in hex hub if anyone is interested.

https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/118706-4in-mecanum-wheels-12in-hex-axle/files

*Currently untested but I’m printing a batch right now. I just scaled the original model and modified the hub so it should be fine.

#4

Hey, this is a super cool project. I am curious however as to how you set up your build plate in order to have no supports. Specifically the rollers, were they on their sides?

#5

Yeah we made something almost identical to these for the 2020 season. Every 3rd match or so the field reset crew would come to us with a handful of rollers we lost off our intake that match. It can be brutal out there!
Maybe you can build them to be more durable. TPU could work, steer clear of PLA and even PETG. You may want to test hitting a set of them against a metal pole as a durability test.

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#6

Screen Shot 2022-01-14 at 11.10.29 AM
Screen Shot 2022-01-14 at 11.10.29 AM2880×1800 3.98 MB

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#7

We printed a couple to prototype with today,I had the rollers on their sides and they printed perfectly :slight_smile:

#8

The body of the wheel can be printed on its back with no support and the rollers on one of the tops. if you print the roller on the side you could get an inconsistent surface that could affect the wheel function ( haven’t tested it though)

in my experience, the rollers also need a brim in order to print reliably but on your printer it might not be needed

#9

I have tried using TPU for these but the rollers were able to slip out of their place. ABS/ASA or some other exotic material would probably be the best choice for any printed part that goes on the field.

but the focus with these was to be easily attainable for every team and printable on any printer

In PLA with 3-4 perimeters, they hold up very well to beatings though I admit this model was never field-tested it never broke during practice

#10

This entire project started after I tried multiple times (and failed most of them) to print reliably 2910 model on my printer with PLA filament.

I made every consistent point of failure in those prints (and some other models prints) into a design goal for this model.

For example, the rollers are fitted into the body with a loose running clearance fit so no matter how it was printed the rollers will spin freely with no issue.
unlike most models where they a designed for a clearance fit calibrated for their printer. which transforms to an Interference fit when printed on a different printer. a problem that is highlighted when an ender 3 user tries to print a model designed for a markforge…

++ a lot of the weird geometry in the body are weight optimizations. not in order to reduce robot weight but to save on filament when printing large batches

Thank you for your interest, it really means a lot to me

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