Why fix the actuators to the ground?
SRT80 actuators are powerful enough to give the simulator an inertia that allows it to lift off the ground. This generates a significant shock when it falls back down: bad for the actuators, bad for the precision of the movement, bad for the neighborhood.
In addition, the lower frame on which the actuators are mounted filters vibrations so that they don’t reach the ground.
How ?
Fixing the actuators of a motion simulator is far from easy. There are two problems:
The first is to find a ball joint that allows the actuator to pivot. The ball joint must support the entire load of the chassis and have no play… Not an easy task.
The second problem is to allow the actuator to move sideways. And yes, when the chassis tilts, the distance between the cylinder feet changes slightly.
The compromise I opted for was to use elastomer shock-absorbing feet: they’re flexible enough to allow rotation and lateral movement. This solution is economical and easy to install, but has two drawbacks: firstly, the elastomer forces the cylinder back into the vertical position, which increases bearing fatigue. Secondly, the flexibility of elastomers reduces the precision of the chassis.
On my chassis, I chose to attach the moving part to an 8040 profile frame, on which I install as many components as possible for ballasting.
This solution is only possible because SRT80s are designed as Push-Pull actuators.
Shopping list :
The shopping list is given for 4 actuators:
- 4 shock absorber 40x25mm M10x27 male male (Aliexpress)
- 4 M10 nuts (Aliexpress)
- M8 screw (depend on what your are securing the actuator).
3D files :
The 3D file is available here.
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