Bill of Materials

This section will give a list of items that are used in this project with selected links to suppliers. You can download a more detailed Bill of Materials sheet here.

Note: Many of the items listed are just examples and you can use your own discretion to substitute parts which are easier or cheaper to obtain. 

Mold Components

Steel half-round rod*, 2 sets of molds (one for actuator body, one for outer skin coating) 
Note: only one set of molds is shown in the image.

* The diameter and length of the half-round rod depends on the size of the actuator you want to make. In the fabrication and CAD tutorials shown here, we use a 1/2" diameter rod (supplier link), which has been cut with a hacksaw or bandsaw to be 3-4 cm longer than the planned actuator length. After cutting the rod, be sure to deburr and file the ends so that they are smooth and will fit well into the corresponding slots in the molds.

Click here to download the .STL files  needed to 3D print the molds for an actuator that is compatible with a 1/2" diameter rod, has 2mm wall thickness, and is 170mm long.

If you would like to modify the molds (for example if you want to use a rod of different dimensions) click here to download the SolidWorks part files.