Help wanted

[ricey3]

Afternoon All
Not sure if this exisits or not, but i wanted some T-Slotted channel to mount an electric motor and will in turn allow me to tension a chain. I've seen similar stuff in aluminium for wood working tools but dont think it will be quite strong enough as its a start motor that i'm mounting so maybe steel is the only option. To take 6 or 8mm bolts. and about 25mm wide.
Does anyone know of anything? Need about 300mm of it.

Looks like this http://www.ptreeusa.com/ttrackproducts.htm

Cheers
Brendan

[irving2008]

I assume the idea is to slide the motor in the channel to adjust tension? What is the motor fixing, a flange? If so, can you figidly fix one mounting point and use a slotted arm for the other, will be easier to fabricate in ali (unless you are tensioning to several kN, which I doubt)

[ricey3]

yeah i'd considered that and had thought of other ecentric type adjustment as it is flange mounted, the trouble id that the end of the shaft needs to sit in a pillow block bearing, so i thought i could perhaps mount both the bearing and motor on the channel and slide up and down to tension.

I've been searching all night and other than making a one off bit of channel it looks like too much effort, i've though about making a spring loaded tensioner instead, not quite what i'd like but beggers cant be choosers

[irving2008]

How big is the sprocket? Could you mount the motor and pillow block on a plate slotted to clear the sprocket/chain and the edge of the plate rotate on a rod and locked by an arm as before?

[Tom]

How about unistrut?
It's ugly stuff (only pressed metal) and not very "CNC", but it might do the job. (it'd fit right at home on my machine!)

http://www.unistrut.co.uk/index.php?part=P3300&M1=Support%20Systems&M2=Single%20and%20Double%20Channel