MODULE 24 / PRINTING & ASSEMBLY
Build the legs
Dry-fit the foot, ankle and leg structures, preserve actuator reference positions, and document every fastener before closing access. Build one leg as the reference, then inspect its handed counterpart.
By the end, you can…
- Assemble matched leg subassemblies with power disconnected.
- Check fastener engagement, alignment and service access.
- Record the distinction between a mechanically assembled leg and a commissioned joint.
Released print and machined parts
Verified actuator identities and reference marks
Read this as a workshop procedure
This is the Academy’s staged workflow, not a recovered Kayden assembly manual. The public CAD supplies geometry and the description supplies names; the official build page does not supply a verified screw-by-screw sequence. At each interface, use the released revision and its verified fastening specification. An empty specification remains unfinished work.
Open the build-files hub and download assembly-checklist.csv, joint-map.csv and build-workbook.csv. Keep them beside the assembly view. A traveler is a record that follows the actual part: identity, hardware used, inspections and unresolved issues. Photographs should show the interface before a cover hides it.
Understand the chain before attaching it
Each leg has hip yaw, hip roll, hip pitch, knee pitch and ankle pitch. The source includes Left_Hip_Roll_Connector, Left_Upper_Leg, Left_Lower_Leg, Left_Foot and matching right-side names. Their nesting describes movement, not necessarily the order in which a screwdriver can reach each fastener. Check access with the CAD assembly first.
The filmed build repeatedly broke printed hip-roll connectors and replaced them with aluminum. Do not treat an older connector STL as a released printed load-bearing part. Confirm the exact reinforced geometry, material and fastening interfaces before that connection carries the robot. A visual resemblance does not establish interchangeability.
Locate first, clamp second
A fastener clamps mating parts; it should not pull a badly aligned assembly into shape. Check that locating faces seat and that the screw’s under-head length provides the documented engagement without bottoming out. Washers, spacers and inserts belong to the specific joint, not to an improvised universal stack.
Start the specified screws by hand before final tightening. Bring them into contact gradually, alternating opposing positions on a multi-screw flange where its instructions permit. Apply only the documented tightening procedure and torque with an appropriate tool. Threadlocker type, surface preparation and compatibility also require a specification; do not add it automatically to plastic interfaces.
Reference positions must survive assembly
Motor identity, physical joint, bus/ID and mechanical reference marks must remain traceable. Use actuators whose preparation records are complete; electrical zero calibration is verified again during supported commissioning. Disconnect power before fastening or moving a subassembly. Do not redefine encoder zero to make a misassembled bracket look correct.
Support the load while checking motion. Follow the actuator manufacturer’s guidance on backdriving; never force a stiff gearbox or sweep through an unknown hard stop. Mechanical inspection can identify interference, but it does not prove direction, torque control or walking readiness.
WORDS YOU NOW KNOW
- Traveler
- A record of parts, operations and inspections attached to a particular build.
- Thread engagement
- The length of mating threads that actually carry the fastener load.
- Dry fit
- A supported trial assembly used to verify mating geometry before final fastening.
YOUR CALL
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Primary references for this module. Use the version and hardware revision named in the lesson.
Pinned CAD assemblyNamed description meshesHip reinforcement in creator videoActuator manufacturer information