80-20 Aluminum Extrusion

The structure and as many moving parts as possible in the barrel-mover are made from a system of aluminum extrusions, joining devices, and motion components from 80/20, Inc. 80/20 material is expensive, but it is fast to fabricate when compared with other materials and methods.

80/20 extrusion comes in two families of sizes. The size I used is based on a one-inch grid. Cross-sections are available in 1x1, 1x2, 1x3, and 2x2 inches. With a few exceptions, the joining plates and other fastening devices are designed for making right-angle connections between pieces of extrusion. Joints are held together with T-nuts and special screws. The extrusion grooves are set at a 4-degree angle, which cinches tightly against the T-nut, resulting in a very strong joint. 80/20 offers quite a variety of bending and sliding motion components, which are detailed in their on-line catalog.

The extrusion can be cut on metal saws or wood-working tools (with an appropriate blade). Drilling and milling 80/20 is easy.