Designing & 3D Printing XL Pulleys and Belts in Fusion 360

Designing & 3D Printing XL Pulleys and Belts in Fusion 360

Need XL pulleys and belts for your mechanical or robotics project? While standard aluminum versions are common, 3D printing offers a cost-effective and customizable alternative.

However, designing accurate XL profile pulleys and belts for 3D printing in CAD like Fusion 360 isn't well-documented online. I've navigated this challenge and successfully created functional designs.

In this post, I'll share my Fusion 360 design process. Crucially, I'll show you how to derive the essential technical data - pitch diameter, outer diameter, and other specs - you need to design your own printable XL pulleys and belts for any project.

Tooth Profile

The following table summarizes the key specifications for XL pulleys and belts (measured in inches):

Specification	Value / Formula	Notes
Profile	XL	Imperial Timing Belt Profile
Pitch	$0.2$	Distance between adjacent tooth centers
Number of Teeth	Variable ($N$)	Count of teeth on the specific pulley
Pitch Diameter	$\frac{N \times \text{Pitch}}{\pi}$	Effective diameter for belt engagement
Outer Diameter	$\text{Pitch Diameter} - 0.02$	It controls the tip of pulley & the base of belt
Tooth Height	$0.05$	Height of the tooth profile
Tooth Angle	$50^\circ$	Angle of the tooth sides
Tooth Tip Length	$0.05$	Flat section at the top of the tooth
Fillet Radius	$0.02$	Radius at the base (root) of the tooth profile

(Gear Tooth)

(Belt Tooth Profile)