Build a Slider Crank

Create and simulate a working slider crank while learning to use sliding connectors, drawing elements, and dynamic measurements.

Here's what you'll build: a crank-and-slider mechanism that converts rotary motion into linear motion. Along the way, you'll add drawing elements to illustrate how the mechanism might be used and measurements that display changing distances and angles as the mechanism runs.

Crank Slider Mechanism

The crank and slider mechanism

  1. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  2. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  3. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  4. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  5. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  6. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  7. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  8. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  9. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  10. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  11. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  12. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  13. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  14. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  15. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  16. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  17. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  18. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  19. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  20. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  21. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  22. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  23. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  24. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  25. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  26. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  27. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  28. Tutorial 2

    Caption

  29. Tutorial 2

    Caption

You have created a typical four-bar mechanism driven by a motor. You can use the skills learned here to create ever more complex mechanisms. This also should give you a good understanding of what binding is. If your mechanism worked properly on the first try, move links and connectors to other positions until you get the Mechanism Deformation error.

The next tutorial will show you how to make a more complex mechanism, adding to the techniques learned here. Click here to start the Slider Crank tutorial.