Recently, a provider of on-demand 3D printing services contacted Belt Technologies, Inc. for help with their 3D printer. The project related to a linear application to actuate the movement of the printer carriage during the printing process in an environment with high vacuum and high temperatures.
The printer carriage is supported by two parallel rails. During 3D printing, the printer carriage moves back and forth to apply thin layers of material to build up the part being printed. In designing a way to generate smooth, precise motion of the printer carriage, Belt’s engineers were faced with several challenges such as small diameter pulleys, high tension/high load, high vacuum, and high temperatures.
Belt’s engineers recommended the belt be made from 17-7CH900, a heat-treated stainless steel that provides the rigidity, temperature resistance, and cleanliness required for this kind of 3D printing application. The pulleys were made from 304 stainless steel.
The customer provided a detailed presentation with a system model and the required load information. With this information on hand, Belt’s engineers were able to design and produce a drive tape and pulleys that would provide linear motion of the printer carriage.
