Looking for DIY Plans to Add TL to SFX-100

[Laserbeak43]

Hello,
Does anyone know of any plans available to add traction loss to an SFX-100?
Thanks

 

[Laserbeak43]

He must be a metal worker. I'm wondering how I'd create the platform. Not sure I could just go to the hardware store, pick up some metal and a welding kit and make something worth talking about.

 

[Tronicgr_6DOF]

Yes I am using them as castors. I am still building the platform. But I am basing some of the build on this guys design. He goes by the name "HOCKEY" and I would love to find out where he hangs out at so I could ask him a few hundred questions about his build. Check out his channel from the video below. If you carefully watch all the videos you can pretty much piece together all of his design..

He is hugs out on our PT-ACTUATOR owners club on Whatsapp. Scan the barcode to join:

Thanks
Thanos

 

[TR Para]

Thank you Thanos. You are always a great help.

 

[TR Para]

He must be a metal worker. I'm wondering how I'd create the platform. Not sure I could just go to the hardware store, pick up some metal and a welding kit and make something worth talking about.

I understand what you are saying. This will be the start of my 5th rig build. So over the last 3 years I have been able to collect some tools to work on metal.
The hardware stores in my area are pretty worthless. I source my steel tubing from local metal suppliers. aluminum extrusions from a local distributor called Grainger. Everything else Amazon, Ebay or China.
Shipping product seems as costly the the material itself.

Being a DIY'er in this hobby can definitely strain ones creativity to the max.
The Base frame of my new rig is a repurposed 25 year old exercise treadmill. It is constructed of heavy steel welded tubing.

The builder of that cool 5dof rig (Hockey) also has a $$ muscle car.
So he has all the needed metal work connections and the funds to get it done... (i think)

 

[JohnBeardmore]

Hocky is from Sweden and has built some amazing cars.

 

[cackster]

I’m in the process of designing a TL system for myself. I’m using a GX150 CNC actuator just as I did for my surge platform. The challenge here will be accounting for the forward and backwards movement necessary. It’s not enough to have a single circular pivot point. I’m thinking The easiest way to accomplish traditional TL using a CNC style actuator mounted horizontally to the fixed primary platform is to make/source a flat plate with a steel rod sticking up. Attach the plate/rod unit on top of the CNC platform. This rod will then slide In and mate with another PLA or metal plate attached to the moving secondary platform platform. The trick is the hole that you use for the second plate accepting the rod MUST be OVAL! (not circular). The reason you want an oval shape is because when the moving platform is swung left and right along a fixed axis by the CNC actuator, it will want to move FORWARD and BACK X amount (depends on how much travel you’re going for left and right). On a traditional actuator it’s easy to negate this phenomenon by using a balljoint type attachment that compensates. Unfortunately with a CNC style it’s not as easy.

 

[JohnBeardmore]

Below are my plans for surge and TL based on Hockys design except the surge layer will not have a separate actuator. The surge layer is the actuator.

The base layer has the rails for the surge, motor screw and screw bearings / mounts. (sorry about the rough sketches) .

Next is the surge layer. This runs on the linear rails and has a screw block. So when the motor on the base layer turns the screw this layer moves back and forth. care will have to be taken to get everything aligned, level and square so it slides without jamming.
It also includes the traction loss pivot pin.

The TL actuator is a ready built CNC slide as preciously shown.
It will be fixed to the surge layer and have a bracket on top of the slide to take a spherical jointed link rod.

Finally there is the TL layer. This is has the pivot for TL at the front and runs on 4 x ball transfer units.
The 4 x ball transfer units sit on flat plates on top of the base layer.

The advantage of the above design (Hockys) is that all the load of the rig is taken through the ball transfer units to the base. The surge is only moving the rig forwards and back, and the TL pivoting the TL layer.

The above is the concept and needs careful dimensioning to ensure it all fits together, moves without jamming and the structure is correct.
I intend to work from the top down, making the TL layer first then the surge and finally the base as I do not tend to CAD things up, only sketch as above, visualise, mock up and make.

 

[Laserbeak43]

Do you prefer CNC style actuators? why?

 

[JohnBeardmore]

I intend to use the CNC style actuator for ease. They are available off the shelf. If money was no object I would use PT. If time was no object I would make my own push pull actuator.

 

[Kieran527]

Do you have a link to the actuator you are using?
Stroke length, mounting style etc

 

[JohnBeardmore]

I am still at the planning stage so have yet to determine the exact unit.

 

[cackster]

curious what kind of spherical joint you’re planning on using? Any links? I went with the gx150 actuator and 90st motor for my setup. I had planned to use a Rail and block as my attachment point from my actuator On my base to the moving platform. This would allow the rolling platform to slide forward and backwards as it arcs left and right.

 

[JohnBeardmore]

I will probably use an M8 spherical rod end to link the traction loss actuator with the TL frame.

My accelerator pedal uses M6 rod ends for a link between the pedal and linear pot actuator.

For the traction loss front main pivot I am still thinking about what to use. I obviously need it to rotate but possibly also move up and down. It all depends on how tight I can keep tolerances and how much my TL layer flexes.
I may get away with just a needle roller bearing or large spherical bearing.

 

[cackster]

Cool! How will the rod end allow for forward and backwards movement though? Will you be using a balljoint on the ends? I thought about using a tie rod with two balljoint ends to compensate for forward and backwards movement. Thanks!

I will probably use an M8 spherical rod end to link the traction loss actuator with the TL frame.

My accelerator pedal uses M6 rod ends for a link between the pedal and linear pot actuator.
View attachment 432573

For the traction loss front main pivot I am still thinking about what to use. I obviously need it to rotate but possibly also move up and down. It all depends on how tight I can keep tolerances and how much my TL layer flexes.
I may get away with just a needle roller bearing or large spherical bearing.

 

[JohnBeardmore]

If you study the videos of Hocky`s rig you will see it has several levels. You need to look at different videos to see different aspects of the rig.

The surge level has the TL actuator attached to it. So the TL actuator moves fore and aft with the surge.

Obviously as the TL actuator operates the TL level operates on an arc but the fore aft displacement will be only 20mm or so which the spherical rod end will cope with.

It took me quite a few views to work out how his system worked but it is very clever. The other thing to note is the level with the ball transfer units has a degree of flex which ensures all the ball transfer units stay in contact with the plates on top of the base.

I would attempt to draw the whole system but it would be too complex. I may try a side view of section which should explain things.

 

[Dont Panic]

This Rear and Front TL + Surge build looks intresting!

 

[Laserbeak43]

Wait, they're both the same platform? I've only seen the second video before today. and now it doesn't look like hoverboard technology! The movement doesn't look AS limited in the second video. Very interesting design... I wonder if the user shows how many motors he's using and how.

 

[Dont Panic]

Yes, same platform.
Volker seems to be quite helpful guy, maybe you can ask advice from him. You can find his Discord user name from the comment section in this video.

 

[TR Para]

Hi all... This poor thread has kind of died. lol
Just wanted to let you guys know I have finished the preliminary build of my 5dof rig.. It is working pretty good and I am happy with it so far. Needs some paint (too cold here) and of course racing stickers to cover all the extra holes I drilled..

5 DOF Racing Platform

I wanted a dedicated platform for racing. This is a combination of 4 SFX-100 actuators a SCN6 and a SCLT6-050-300. The controller is the Thanos...

www.xsimulator.net

 

[JohnBeardmore]

I was reading your thread this morning but didn’t realise you had been posting on here too. I am just about to start welding up my main rig. Once this is done I will start on the TL.
Your rig is looking good.