OpenBuilds New Product Launch! The OpenBuilds Team Is Proud To Present The Latest Addition to the V-Slot Family C-Beam! The All New Linear Rail / Modular Building System 'C-Beam was born out of a necessity to create a stronger rail that has plenty of room for transmission components such as belts and leads while maintaining the modular advantages of V-Slot.' Watch the C-Beam introduction video below C-Beam is a new profile based off of the popular OpenBuilds V-Slot Modular Building System C-Beam™ is also available in C-Beam Actuator Bundle Packs! C-Beam can be used for making easy to build linear actuators. C-Beam actuators are very easy to assemble and use. C-Beam is available in three popular lengths: 250mm 500mm 1000mm Each end of C-Beam™ has 4 pre-tapped (M5) holes that allow for super easy mounting of end plates. C-Beam is a modular building system C-Beam is modular and compatible with V-Slot™ Building possibilities are endless! . We feel we have achieved all of our goals with C-Beam including keeping costs affordable. C-Beam is so new that we have barely scratched the surface of what is possible and cannot wait to see what the world will create with it! . . Exciting new builds are coming to OpenBuilds soon using C-Beam! Sneak peek of Prototype C-Beam built machines More C-Beam upgrades and accessories coming soon... Thank you so much for your support as we move forward to help grow the open source community together...one build at a time! Thank you, OpenBuilds Team P.S. Please stay tuned as there are many new exciting announcements coming soon...! Need a large quantity of OpenBuilds parts? * Pallet shipping available on large orders! Save on shipping by having your orders palletized and shipped to your business! For additional information, please contact us at http://support.openbuilds.com/support/home
Excellent concept Mark & Trish. Now who will be the first member to publish a build using the C-Beam ?? Tweakie.
Hey guys thank you for the kind words! We are super excited about C-Beam and cannot wait to see what the community will do with it. We have a lot of future optional upgrades to come as well such as riser plates that will allow you to put a shield across the lead screw channel this will help to keep debris out of the channel. We also incorporated a slot that we thought would be helpful for belt tension for a belt driven system. We put together a few example systems that we came up with that should help in getting a start. We will be posting all the files in the new OpenBuilds parts resource section as well as an example build under the builds section. We also have a couple builds we are working on releasing that use C-Beam and cannot wait to share them with you guys. Thank you so much for your support and again for the words of encouragement. It really helps us to keep doing what we love to do.
Ah. So now we know what you've been up to! I thought you'd been a bit quiet lately. Will we be able to get all the plates and bits etc from yourselves as stock items? Just as well I hung on a bit then wasn't it! Good Job My Friend Gray
The email (which I got two copies of to the same address) says that it only comes up to 1M long. With something this strong 1.5 and 2M would be really nice. It'd be great for a 4' gantry on, say, a 4' x 6' Ox successor. Misumi ships 2M extrusions via UPS; I'm sitting next to some of it. Just saying... Not trying to be negative; looks like Great Stuff! Kirk
Awesome Mark, I'm sure this will sell really well and expand what people do with openbuilds. A great addition.
I can see a piece of this used as a stronger X axis with a traditional OX belt system. On the other hand, if you're going to redesign the X and Y plates, might as well use threaded rod. I second the 1500mm length.
Darnit... I wish this came out AFTER I started assembling the OX PPR. I think this will work better for my Y axis... considering a design change, starting..... now.
You guys are awesome! We thank you for allowing us to be a part of this great community of builders/friends. We will continue to listen and do our best to bring everyone the tools and materials needed to help shape the world for the better. We believe that this groups passion and commitment will make that happen! Ready...Set...BUILD! The C-beam example actuator builds are posted We are SUPER excited to see the builds that come from you guys, please share them. http://www.openbuilds.com/builds/c-beam-actuator-example-builds.1955/ Thank you, Mark OpenBuilds Team
Are there published values for this thing's flexural and torsional rigidity? Considering it's basically aluminium C-beam, it could have some serious large-scale promise. Looks perfect for compact Z-axes too. Funnily enough, that traditional-style mini mill in the second render was my immediate thought when I first saw it. It looks like a possible direct replacement for dovetail slides.
it bad *** I love it of course it comes out after I order my stuff lol jk it will be great for a future build im planning
The one issue I can see with the C-beam profile, which is a reason it is not often seen in the construction industry, is this : "The structural channel [the C-Beam] is not used as much in construction as symmetrical beams [ie. I beam], in part because its bending axis is NOT centered on the width of the flanges. If a load is applied equally across its top, the beam will tend to twist away from the web. This may not be a weak point or problem for a particular design, but is a factor to be considered." Wikipedia (for what it is worth at times) If the load is not applied equally across its top - which is the case with the X span of an OX with the router/spindle cantilevered, the tendancy to twist could get worse (?) As stated above "this may not be a weak point or problem for a particular design". It remains this configuration (profile) is considered a "channel" rather than a "beam" ... In most of the sample applications, the OBPS C-beam is shown with its webbing oriented horizontally. It becomes a 'wider' 40 mm beam which will need support after a certain length and load configuration. This may be a reason length is limited to 1000 mm when most were hoping to hit 2000+ mm extrusions ? OBPS C-beam remains a very interesting and useful design, especially to build low profile linear guide. The Z axis will probably benefit the most - again, explaining the short pre-tapped length. Not certain how the tendancy to twist away from the web will come into play ... length is short, so it could be an improvement after all ... for very particular uses. The C-beam form factor, as seen in the sample applications, is typically found as guide ways or tracks resting on something else for structural strength (think of the barn door rail: an upside down modified C-beam, really an open square tube; its help up not a free standing span). Typically, the webbing is in a vertical orientation - think I-beam. The H-beam simply has wider top and bottom flanges than an I beam. They are sometimes refered to as W-beam (as in Wide flanged). The I-beam is built differently (rolled) and the flanges are usually tapered. The H beams are built up to spec. I beams can also be wood based, like those used in the housing industry, lenth of OSB (rather weak on its own) acting as the webbing with 2" x 4" playing the role of the flanges. The OSB resists flexing in one axis while the 2"x resists in the other axis. The two together as an 'I joist' keep the floor of the house up with just enough flexing to be ... confortable : "Because of their thin webs, wood I-joists are less capable than lumber joists of supporting vertical loads (for example, from load-bearing walls above). For this reason, special blocking techniques are used to transfer vertical loads around and through the wood I-joists" Canadian Wood Frame House Construction, page 100. Approaching an OX build, would be the use of I beams as trolley ways (like those huge container cranes at ports)... A difference is the load would be on top (like the X trolley assembly) or hanging off one side (the router/spindle typical position) which would induce a twisting force if not counter balanced (we do it by having the X stepper on the opposite side of router / spindle, BUT not heavy enough to counter balance a large/heavy router). The C beam will definitely have it's use. But I don't see it being to build extra large or extra strong OX. As the sample applications show, the intent seems to be to build linear rails (screw based) to replace the belt drives used to date. This alone makes it worth it, as the related posts indicate. An I beam configuration might be in the works ? It would have the advantages of the C-beam AND, using the same concepts as the C beam, probably become a 60x80 or 60x100 profile ... I might have to revise part of the 50x profiles I am working on with a nearby extruder ... I was thinking more to a rack/pinion configuration ...
I think that if someone is interested to minimize any deflection of the structure in its machine the C profile can be useful too because a 80 x 80 x 20 rectangular tube can be created using two C beam (with this configuration -> [] ) at less cost than the "old" rectangular beams. Or a 60 x 80 x 20 rectangular tube with a functional linear guide (with this configuration -> [[ )
True, but still running into the issue of having to 'stick' two together and in parallel. Not to mention current available maximum length now limited to 1000mm (as a single piece). Still, a very good option compared to the existing 20x profiles for many applications. It has its purpose(s), some we will discover with time.
