Hi all,
I’m looking at using a HD-1501MG servo, or similar, to tilt a table-like surface on a horizontal axis. The table will most likely range from 5-10 pounds. My question is, if I attach the table directly to the servo horn (while also supporting it on the opposite side), will the servo be able to support this much weight? How strong are a servo’s internals and case as structural elements under a transverse load?
Hello.
That servo’s datasheet (which is available on the product page under the “Resources” tab) does not have any information about the servo’s ability to handle transverse loads like what you are describing, and unfortunately, I generally would not expect you to have much luck finding hobby servos with that type of characterization. The 1501MG should fare better than most servos in situations like that since it uses metal gears and ball bearings (which you can see in the pictures on the product page), but I suspect your application would still be pushing the boundaries of what you could reasonably expect from it. I recommend looking into other ways you can reduce the transverse loads on the servo output (like adding additional supports for the table) or completely decouple it from those loads (such as by adding external gears, belts/pulleys, or chains/sprockets).
- Patrick
I’ve used “ServoBlocks” for problems like this. MOTION - Servos & Accessories - ServoBlocks™ - ServoCity
The hub that connects to the servo spline sits inside a ball-bearing pillow block which takes most of the weight.
