Step 1: Make the jig

Since the material is a lot longer than the laser cutter, we have to make a custom jig for the process. Magnets are hand-pressed into the top board of the jig so we can lock the band in place when cutting. The lower part of the jig is for delicate position adjustment. As seen in the picture, we also etch four markers onto the top board for better matching between cuts.

Step 2: Manufacture the band with jig

For a 50 feet long material, it would usually require about 28 cuts. The manufacturing part is tricky because you can easily misalign between two cuts and the band would not be useful because the teeth would not bite into each other when we try to wind it up. This step takes a lot of time and patience and experience.

Step 3: Clean & Bake (Delrin only) & Set

We usually use either Delrin or Nylon. Either way, we would have to clean the entire band with 99% isopropyl alcohol to make sure there are no residues that would cause a problem in a later step. For Delrin, it is also important that we bake it for ~15 minutes to avoid explosions when winding up later.

We usually leave the cut materials in zip-tie (as shown) overnight for it to set in the position, and of course for Delrin we would do this before putting it in the oven.

Step 4: Wind it up

A very exciting step! After a night in zip tie, we can either hand zip it or use the retired band spool (as pictured below) to wind it up. It is important to have someone help you in the case that the winded part breaks apart or when the whole thing falls because CG is too high. Be sure to take the top and the bottom for now so it doesn’t unwind itself.

Sign your name, date, material, length, and thickness, and leave it in the office overnight for the position to set again. We’re almost there!

Step 5: Apply Backing Tape & Test

After the position is more set, we have to apply backing tape to the material tightly so that the teeth can’t come out. Though it looks easy, this is usually proven a rather difficult step.

After that, we’re all done as far as manufacturing is concerned! Now we just test the band again in spool to make sure it is smooth and ready for future applications.