I'm looking at building a 3D Printer, delta style. I'm considering using the 20x60 V-Slot profile and I was starting to look at carriages and such. I see the OpenRail, and I am intrigued by it, and wonder what would be the advantages or disadvantages to using the OpenRail for the carriage instead of just running the carriage direct on the rail?
OpenRail would let you implement the wheel concept on a surface that does not already have it. An example would be an plain aluminum bar, or built of sheet goods for a gantry. You can argue that it's easier to remove and replace as well, but that's minor.
Another advantage. You may have a design where you need to run some drive mechanism in the middle of a slot where wheels would be "in the way". My 3D printer is string driven, and I needed to have pulleys aligned in the middle of the slot. I used OpenRail on my Z-axis to help me accomplish this. (The forward pulley rides the rail, the rear one carries the string.)
