90 Degree Pillow Block
njeung
Entry ID #: 8912
Created: Tue, Dec 8, 2020 2:44 AM
Introduction Structural stability is integral to many everyday structures, such as buildings, bridges, and furniture. And the most structurally stable shape is the triangle. Triangles and trusses are everywhere, think: bridges, freeway signs, and houses. In VRC, advanced teams use triangle bracing quite often, but sometimes, VRC legal parts make it difficult to achieve light, efficient triangle bracing. Our part aims to make triangular structures easier to achieve in VEX. How to Use Based off of the structure of a pillow bearing block, the 90-degree pillow block looks very similar, but with one key difference. The hole on the block is rotate 90 degrees and split apart to allow a collar to fit in the middle. This allows for variable rotation using the collar and this block. The structure also aligns into square holes. Ideally, teams would use this part to support heavier loads and structure, but there could also be motion-related uses as well (bevel gears, ratchets, etc.) How We Made It We used Autodesk Inventor 2021. We started with a basic structure of a pillow block, before changing many aspects of it using sketches, extrusions, and cuts to achieve our design. We also tested this part in Inventor as well, making sure it can achieve what we wanted. Going Forward This project helped our team recognize the value in simplicity and efficiency. Our part is all about making VRC robots more efficient in their structure. Learning 3D Design Software has many benefits. Many of us will become engineers, and an understanding and knowledge of a 3D design environment will prove quite valuable.
