Design

Mechanical Design

Autofeeder Parts

The physical autofeeder consists of four 3D printed parts and a Nema-17 12V stepper motor. The exact motor used is listed in the bill of materials.

The base of the autofeeder has a small tray for holding food, a hole to allow the motor through, and six slots for the food container to fit in. The most important part of the autofeeder is the tube which connects the top and the feed tray.

Moving up, the next component is the disc. This holds a small amount of food and rotates with the motor.

Above the disc is a shield which prevents food from falling through when the large hole in the disc aligns with the tube in the base.

To hold the disc and shield in place, as well as to carry the bulk of food, the container encases the disc and has a small slot to keep the shield in place. It additionally has six tabs which lock into the base, providing a sound assembly.

The fully assembled autofeeder should look something like this:

or in the real world, like this: