Spherical Joints Maintenance

After using the robot for a while, you may notice dark dust around the connecting rods or hear squeaky, high-pitched noises when the head moves. This is caused by friction and wear on the spherical joints (ball joints) of the Stewart platform.

This guide walks you through cleaning and re-greasing the spherical joints to restore smooth, quiet operation.

Tools

• PH1 screwdriver and cross socket
• Degreaser (e.g. WD-40)
• Grease (e.g. NSK LR3)
• Soft cloth
• Small tool to apply grease (e.g. flat-tip plastic tweezers)

Before you start

Remove the top shell by following the assembly guide steps in reverse.

We recommend performing the following steps one rod at a time to avoid mixing up parts.

Steps

1. Choose a rod and remove the nut and screw attaching it to the motor arm.

2. Remove the screw on the other end, connected to the neck.

3. Use some degreaser and a soft cloth to remove all the dirt around the sphere.

4. Apply grease on each side of the sphere, covering the entire surface.

5. Roll the sphere many times to spread the grease evenly, then clean up any excess.

6. Reassemble the connecting rod by reversing steps 1-2.

7. Repeat for each rod.

8. Reassemble the top shell, head, and antennas.

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