Goal is to create a robotic arm with a precision of 0,5mm - 1mm, with a limited budget, basic parts costs somewhere around 100-200€. Another main goal is to learn about mechanics, and try out various mechanical designs (e.g. bevel gear drive, pulley & belt drive, gears, counterweight, ball & thrust bearings etc.).
Great tips. I have no idea of the manufacturer of the bevel gears. Found an “unbranded” pair from ebay (China), and bought it to try it out. Very little backlash for angular moments, but possibly there is some axial backlash, and most certainly, motor vibration causes issues. Next step is probably to test out a tapered roller bearing on top, but I have to design and manufacture the support for it. I don’t have a 3d printer, but local FabLab has pretty much everything imaginable.
I’ll probably write a custom control software for desktop computer that will communicate with the Arduino via serial. There are still mechanical obstacles I have to resolve first though.