VANTIX is a mostly 3D-printed cycloidal gearbox for NEMA 17 and NEMA 23 stepper motors, designed by Gjhudson2008. Its defining constraint is its height: exactly equal to a standard NEMA 17 axle length. That is unusually compact for a cycloidal reduction stage.

The build has real tolerances to manage. It requires ABS, a 0.2 mm nozzle for critical parts, heat-set inserts, lubrication, and a stepper shaft where the D-bore runs the full length down to the base. Steppers with an uncut shank at the bottom will not fit. Assembly is largely press-fit or insert-during-print, with some components calling for a larger nozzle.

What makes this worth reading in full is the tolerance strategy: mixing nozzle sizes across parts to hit fit targets on a cycloidal profile is not obvious, and Gjhudson2008 documents the reasoning. Multiple top plate options for different mounting configurations are included. The Instructables page has the full parts breakdown and print settings.

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