I was going thru the RS catalog looking at extrusions and came across some igus linear guides. It struck me that the concept could be used with the hard anodized aluminum profile. So I started drawing and using the calipers and by the third print I got this: It is still early stage design but the general shape looks like this I am of 2 minds on the design at this point. Either a fully printed design as shown above which I will delve into some design concepts before I explain number 2. First of all plastic wears. 3D printed parts have a break in time as the perimeter lines are worn down into a smooth surface. However this type of print seems to be a good candidate for either silicone or PTFE impregnation. Basically coating with either lube and putting it in a plastic bag to marinate for a few days. Second as it wears there is a risk that the guide will become loose. However I found a solution to that. By using the natural springiness of the plastic the part i made so that it has to slightly bend to fit properly. basically squeeze it and slide it on, then after 50-60 times sliding back and forth it loosens up and slides nicely. The tension in it pulls the guide tight and by my calculations it would have to lose nearly .5mm before any backlash is noticeable. I tested this already by shaving some material away and using the digital calipers to check for wear. Obviously this design will have to be tweaked for every printer and one will need a really good machine to make it. I can see a dramatically reduced parts count for a 3d printer. Second concept is the same shape but instead of 3d printed, I router HMW HDPE or regular HDPE as the slide and bolt it to a printed carrier using m3 or m4 nuts. Like this: Thoughts?
