[wsfii-discuss] One more regarding UCT...

Sun Oct 16 13:04:54 UTC 2005

I think UCT could really help because it shows that even complicated
mechanics can be done this way quickly and cheap.

With drilling templates you can precisely hand-file very complicated
shapes.

For example my bike alternator was constantly failing, I had a cheap
plastic one, then I bough some very expensive Union Turbo which proven
to be crap too. The sleeve bearing worn out and started to oscillate
very loud so you couldn't ride without people turning their heads.

So I got pissed off bought two industrial 1605 ball bearings and
redesigned 50% of the alternator mechanics to UCT. The design process
itself was very slow and painful (frequent mistakes and redesigns, had
to remake it about 3 times) but finally I ended up with very complicated
workpieces that you can turn out with lathe and drill very quickly.

I redesigned the case from metal to plastic (to not waste eddy currents
-> now it's very efficient) and the bearing flange from aluminium.  You
print out drill templates on a laser printer, glue on and work according
to that. The precision is enough for the mechanics which has only 0.5mm
rotor allowance inside. The alternator runs then very smoothly and
doesn't pose resistance when riding.

The cost was 5USD (2 bearings) and negligible cost of material, plus
12 tiny screws.

Or like on my water cooling I had to design very complicated aluminium
mounting brackets for disk due to confined space.  Manufacture again
very quick, with the templates.  Without free software QCad this
wouldn't be possible. Free software is UCT already implemented in the
software area.

CL<