X Band Waveguide Mount

thingiverse

I worked as a research assistant for 2 years and helped a master's student complete his thesis by using my CAD skills learned in an art class. He was making an imaging array with Vivaldi antennae. He ended up using a hacked up piece of wood instead of my beautiful CNC'd HDPE track, so now that I am doing my master's degree, I decided to use my old HDPE track to move my probe with a stepper motor. Anyway, since I will not be using his old antennas (I am using a waveguide with a horn on the front) I had to design a new mount. The last picture shows part of the old structure that this was designed to interface with. Boy have my 3D modeling skills come a long way since back then! This model helped me get some decent preliminary results!! Check out the 3D graph of a 1D scan of a simulated defect, showing what it looks like over a varying frequency range! Print Settings Printer: FFCreat0r Rafts: No Supports: No Resolution: 200 micron Infill: (See below) Notes: Below are recommended print settings for PLA: (use active cooling) Adaptor.stl: 30% infill, 3 shells, .2mm (60C Heated Build Platform, if applicable) WGMnt.stl: 50% infill, 2 shells, .2mm (60C HBP) WGMntLo.stl: 80% infill, 2 shells, .2mm (60C HBP) WGMntUp.stl: 50% infill, 2 shells, .2mm (60C HBP) No rafts/supports.. designed for manufacturing bro! :D Oh don't print XBand_WG.stl. It is just included in case you want it for your waveguide mount! (Inside dimensions not guaranteed to be precise) Post-Printing Using 8-32 screws (sorry I don't have metric screws readily available) and nuts complete the following: Use 2x 1" 8-32 for the upper/lower Mnt Use 1x 1/2" 8-32 to attach the MntLower to the WGMnt. Put the nuts in the (3) hex holes (obv) How I Designed This I measured the waveguide with my harbor freight calipers, and modeled it. Outside dimensions should be reasonably accurate, inside, who knows. I didn't really spend much time there since waves will not need to propagate through a 3D printed part (arghh the losses!). Once modeled, the clamp was designed around it that could use readily available materials. It is somewhat inspired by scope rings, but with more hard edges (but soft/blended where necessary) for a bold sexy appearance! lulz