Does anybody have a 3d printable design that incorporates a slip ring.
Imagine a turntable with an axle at the bottom of the turntable. No wires can run to the topside of the turntable so I probably need a hollow axle with a slip ring at the bottom. For some reason I cant seem to get my head around how this would work.
Anybody have any good examples?
3d printing a slip ring would be very hard. You’d need to be able to keep contact with the rings. Something like this would be easier to just buy an off the shelf model and desing the rest of the part around that.
Sorry that’s what I meant I’m looking for an assembly that incorporates a stock slip ring.
It would be helpful for you to describe your project.
A hollow tube is one way you can implement what I think you are trying to do, but it is not the only way. Assuming a tube and a common, inexpensive slip ring like this one…
…then your description of the implementation would work. The larger base of the slip ring would be attached to the base below your turntable, and the hollow tube would be attached to the smaller “nipple” pointing left in this image.
But there are other types slip rings, and some interesting DIY slip ring solutions that might be a better fit depending on your project.
FYI: I did a quick scan and found around ten project on Thingiverse that use slip rings, but I don’t think any of these projects are helpful for understanding your specific project.
I’m building a polar sand table. Basically a 2040 extrusion rotating on a central pivot point. A slide will run along the top of the extrusion so the top needs to stay clear.
I’m imagining some kind of flange attached to the table with a fixed 1" ss pipe as the stationary axle. I’m hoping if I apply grease to it I won’t need ball bearings or anything exotic for the joint.
I ordered a slip ring almost identical to the one you showed but I’m struggling with how to mount it in the assembly. I’m thinking of mounting the flange under the table with the nipple and pigtail going through the pipe. Or would it be better to mount it at the top of the pipe. Or should I have the flange attached to the rotating part and have the nipple face down into the pipe.
Thanks all!
A slip ring needs to be attached to both the fixed and the rotating items. If the shaft is fixed, then it is simplest to install the slip ring at the top since that is where the fixed and rotating items meet. If the shaft is rotating, then the slip ring would be installed at the bottom.
I’m not an engineer, but personally I would use bearings. You can use something inexpensive like this or this. Assuming the rotating part is only supported by the central shaft, then I’d use two bearings separated by a bit of distance. In my mind, the stepper driving the rotation would be mounted to the base, and the tubing would rotate. With this design, the slip ring would be installed at the bottom.
Thanks! Half the battle with these things for me not coming from an engineering background is not knowing what parts exist nor having the vocabulary to describe them properly. The bearing flange you show is one of those type of things. Thanks for the lead!
I’ve used many slip rings on machinery over the years. Mostly for motor drive power and encoder feedback. The largest one had 10 rings.