“Marblevator, Caterpillars” is my latest Marblevator design. The model was 3D printed using three material types: PLA, PVA and TPU.
The “caterpillars” in this model are four section ball bearing carriers containing four 8mm ball bearings. The carrier is 3D printed in PLA on a PVA raft using PVA supports. PVA is a water soluble material so when 3D printing is completed, I simply drop the caterpillar in warm water and allow time for the PVA raft and supports to dissolve.
The belt in this model is 3D printed in TPU on a TPU raft. There are eight pockets on the belt designed to hold eight 6 by 1.5mm neodymium magnets. The magnets are spaced such that the belt will pick up the caterpillars from the end of the track and transport them upward to the start of the track. Small paddles at the end of each magnet group assist in transferring the caterpillar to the track.
The remaining components of the model were 3D printed in PLA.
It’s not the most reliable Marvblevator I’ve designed, but it does intrigue the grandkids so I like it!
Every Thursday is #3dthursday here at Adafruit! The DIY 3D printing community has passion and dedication for making solid objects from digital models. Recently, we have noticed electronics projects integrated with 3D printed enclosures, brackets, and sculptures, so each Thursday we celebrate and highlight these bold pioneers!
Have you considered building a 3D project around an Arduino or other microcontroller? How about printing a bracket to mount your Raspberry Pi to the back of your HD monitor? And don’t forget the countless LED projects that are possible when you are modeling your projects in 3D!
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