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Belt and Pinion Actuator Kit

1.0 Introduction
The Belt and Pinion system provides smooth operation along V-Slot Linear Rail. It is both accurate and quick, making it perfect for DrawBots, Lasers, Pick and Place machines, Camera Sliders and more. The Belt and Pulley Actuator relies on a toothed belt and pulley system to transmit rotary motion. The toothed belt engages with the teeth on the pulley, translating the rotary input into linear motion with precision. This system operates under the premise of maintaining constant tension on the belt, ensuring accurate and repeatable linear displacement.
1.1 Getting Started
Before starting any build, it is good practice to get organised. Start by unpacking all parts received and checking each part off against the Bill of Materials mentioned below:
Bill of Materials
Item | Description | SKU | Quantity |
1 | NEMA 17 Stepper Motor 560mN.m – Version B | ELEC-NEMA17-B | 1 |
2 | Motor Mount Plate | PLATE-MOTOR | 1 |
3 | GT2 (2MM) Aluminium Timing Pulley -20 Tooth | BELT-GT2-TP20 | 1 |
4 | Solid V Wheel Kit | WHEEL-SOLIDV-KIT | 4 |
5 | Eccentric Spacers – 8MM Hex– 6MM Height | SHIM-ECCENTRIC-8-6 | 2 |
6 | Metric Aluminium Spacers-6MM | SHIM-SPAC-6MM | 2 |
7 | Precision Shim 10x5x1MM | SHIM-PREC 1051 | 4 |
8 | M5 Low Profile Screw-10MM | SCREWS-M5-LP-10-1 | 2 |
9 | M5 Low Profile Screw-25MM | SCREWS-M5-LP-25-1 | 4 |
10 | M3 Button Head Screw-6MM | SCREWS-M3-BH-6-1 | 4 |
11 | Nylon Insert Hex Locknut | HARD-NUT-LOCK-5MM | 6 |
12 | M5 Low Profile Screw-8MM | SCREWS-M5-LP-8-1 | 2 |
13 | Tee Nuts-1PC | HARD-TNUT-M5-1 | 2 |
1.2 Tools Required
1.3 Pre Assembly Notes
We recommend that you read through the whole assembly guide before beginning the build, as this enables you to get a rough idea of how it all goes together. Before starting each step make sure you have studied the drawing and fully understand the instructions. When attaching parts, if a part is requiring significant force to attach, stop, take it off, re-read the instructions and try again. Do not over tighten screws as you may strip the thread or head. If you have any questions regarding the build please contact us at [email protected] , we are happy to help!
2.0 Wheel Assembly
Item | Description | SKU | Quantity |
A | Solid V Wheel | WHEEL-SOLIDV | 4 |
B | 6252RS Bearing | BEAR-6252RS | 8 |
C | Precision Shim – 10x5x1MM | SHIM-PREC-1051 | 4 |
Click on the image(s) to expand
Step 1: The Solid V Wheel Kit listed in the Bill of Materials comes with the parts mentioned in the table above. Take these parts out of the kit pack and start the assembly.
Step 2: Place the Solid V Wheel (B) on a flat surface and insert one of the 6252RS Bearing (A) in the Solid V Wheel (B).
Step 3: Flip the Solid V Wheel (B) and place the Precision Shim 10x5x1MM (C) inside the Solid V Wheel, on top of the inner race of the already inserted bearing (A).
Step 4: Insert the other 6252RS bearing (A) in the Solid V Wheel (B) so that it rests on the Precision Shim 10x5x1MM (C). This will complete 1 wheel assembly. For reference, see Figure 1.
Step 5: Repeat the above steps to make 3 more wheel assemblies. A total of 4 wheel assemblies are needed.
Pro tip:
- Use a mallet to gently tap the bearings (A) inside the Solid V Wheel (B).
- Use one of the longer bolts to align everything (A,B,C) by threading the parts on one by one.
3.0 Pulley Wheel Assembly
Note: The gantry plate size is optional and you may have purchased a different size. Ensure you space the wheels according to the V-Slot profile you purchased.
Item | Description | SKU | Quantity |
A | Gantry Plate (Different Sizes) | 1 | |
4 | Solid V Wheel Kit | WHEEL-SOLIDV-KIT | 4 |
5 | Eccentric Spacers – 8MM Hex– 6MM Height | SHIM-ECCENTRIC-8-6 | 2 |
6 | Metric Aluminium Spacers-6MM | SHIM-SPAC-6MM | 2 |
7 | Precision Shim 10x5x1MM | SHIM-PREC 1051 | 4 |
9 | M5 Low Profile Screw-25MM | SCREWS-M5-LP-25-1 | 4 |
11 | Nylon Insert Hex Locknut | HARD-NUT-LOCK-5MM | 4 |
Click on the image(s) to expand
Click on the image(s) to expand
Step 1: Place the lip of the 2x Eccentric spacers-8MM Hex-6MM Height (5) into the Gantry Plate (A), the Eccentric spacers (5) will fit into the larger holes on one side of the gantry plate (A), as shown in Figure 2.
Step 2: Screw the M5 Low Profile Screws- 25MM (9) into the Eccentric spacers (5) from the opposite side of the gantry plate (A).
Step 3: Slide the following components onto the above 2x M5 Low Profile Screws – 25MM (9) in the hereby mentioned order 1x Precision Shim – 10x5x1mm (7) → 1x Solid V Wheel Assembly (4) → 1x Nylon Insert Hex Locknut (11). Slightly tighten the assembly. Please see Figure 2 for reference.
Step 4: Screw 2x M5 Low Profile Screws-25MM (9) in the holes opposite to the Eccentric spacers (5) and slide the following components onto these screws in the hereby mentioned order 1x Metric Aluminium Spacers-6MM (6) → 1x Precision Shim – 10x5x1mm (7) → 1x Solid V Wheel Assembly (4) → 1x Nylon Insert Hex Locknut (11). Tighten the assembly. Please see Figures 2 & 3 for reference.
Note: The location of Eccentric Spacers (25) and Metric Aluminium Spacers-9MM (28) is indicated in Figure 4 by red and green arrows respectively.
4.0 Motor Mount Assembly
Item | Description | SKU | Quantity |
1 | NEMA 17 Stepper Motor 560mN.m – Version B | ELEC-NEMA17-B | 1 |
2 | Motor Mount Plate | PLATE-MOTOR | 1 |
3 | GT2 (2MM) Aluminium Timing Pulley -20 Tooth | BELT-GT2-TP20 | 1 |
10 | M3 Button Head Screw-6MM | SCREWS-M3-BH-6-1 | 4 |
Click on the image(s) to expand
Click on the image(s) to expand
Step 2: Attach the Motor Mount Plate (2) to the NEMA17 Stepper Motor (1) using 4x M3 Button Head Screw-6MM (10). Please see Figures 7 & 8 for reference.
5.0 Motor Mount Plate Mating
Item | Description | SKU | Quantity |
A | Gantry Assembly | – | 1 |
B | Motor Mount Assembly | – | 1 |
8 | M5 Low Profile Screw-10MM | SCREWS-M5-LP-10-1 | 2 |
11 | Nylon Insert Hex Locknut | HARD-NUT-LOCK-5MM | 2 |
Click on the image(s) to expand
5.0 Attaching Gantry
Item | Description | SKU | Quantity |
A | Gantry Assembly | – | 1 |
C | V-Slot | – | 1 |
Click on the image(s) to expand
Click on the image(s) to expand
See Figure 13 for complete assembly.
6.0 Attaching the Belt
Click on the image(s) to expand
Step 1: To complete the actuator, feed the Belt over the pulley and under the wheel, as shown in Figure 14.
Step 2: Pull the belt tight and secure it in position by sliding a Tee-Nut (13) with an M5 Low Profile Screw-8MM (12) into each end of the extrusion and tightening the screw so it clamps the belt
Congratulations, you have completed the assembly.
Support
For any questions or concerns, please contact us at [email protected]
Australian customers: For more project ideas and solutions, please visit makerstore.com.au
North American customers: For more project ideas and solutions, please visit makerstore.com.cc
UK Customers: For more project ideas and solutions, please visit makerstore.co.uk
Credits
- The Open Source Hardware community
- Our fantastic customers, whose feedback constantly helps us improve our parts and design.