Just something for the off-season, looking forward to using it next year. (Btw, yes, most of it is 3D printed).
Looks good! Just a warning about 3D printed swerve modules, I saw a team that had mostly 3D printed modules and they did not stand the test of time or collisions. So be wary. Make sure to test them extensively.
I’m almost afraid to ask but… what infill % did you use?
This is awesome!! I’m so happy to see teams use 3d printing more and more, especially in cool applications like these. Definitely do your due diligence on testing these modules in all kinds of stress. I’d recommend at the very least doing a drop test (with an entire robot on top), getting pushed with wheels in all orientations, and whatever other suggestions people will have that I’m blanking on.
I’m excited to see this cool design in action! (Definitely post some videos once you get it up and running)
-Marcus
I like the use of 3D printing in this design! However, I am concerned about durability. First off, the walls on the turning module do look a bit thin, though there are many ways of increasing stiffness without just increasing the wall thickness. For example, it looks like the final drive axle is live-axle. It seems like it’d be very easy to switch that to a dead-axle and leverage that drive axle as structural reinforcement.
The biggest concern to me though is the use of that Lazy Susan as the turning bearing. If those are the same or similar 4" Lazy Susans that come in the KoP, then those will not last a season. Those bearings are not designed to take serious side loads. And with your rather tall turning module (almost 8"?), you’ll see some pretty high loading. You need to have a bearing setup that can’t handle a lot of thrust and side loads.
Also, I assume encoders will be added soon? It looks like you’ve got some good spots they can go.
Good work!
EDIT - As soon as I hit Submit, I noticed that the bottom bearing plate, the one the VersaPlanetary bolts to, appears a bit warped. You have GOT to get that plate flat. That will cause headaches all season long. It might be good to consider adding a third plate after the turning pulleys to solve a few of your problems.
Also, are those bevel gears printed?
We used those turntables in one of our first swerve iterations. It was awful. After about thirty minutes of driving the entire module wobbled 3-4 inches in each direction. You need something to counter the thrust loads. Consider looking at these as they may be a relatively easy switch. You can take off an eighth of an inch of diameter on a lathe and save some space. Once we switched to those we had zero problems with thrust loads. Roller thrust bearings will also work.
75% PLA (easiest to print at the time; we’re going to re-print in PETG and nylon)
What’s the idea behind using a miniCIM for each module instead of a CIM? Assuming you’re using 4 modules, you’ll have less than 3 CIMs of power in your drive. That will end up cutting into your top speed and acceleration (even if you don’t care about pushing power).
Did somebody say MarkForged?
When you do re-print, I would suggest trying to print the main piece on it on it’s side if at all possible (might require supports). The orientation of the layers affects the durability of the print and right now the layers are not ideal for maintaining strength in the direction you want it.