Modular Bolt & Screw Sorter (Manual Lifter Module)

Modular Bolt & Screw Sorter (Manual Lifter Module) | Modular 3D-Printed Design

⚠️ Important Disclaimer
This model was designed solely for competition purposes. It is not practical and is not recommended for real-world use — printing it will most likely waste your filament. I am sharing it only as a concept design.
👉 If you are looking for a functional modular bolt sorting machine, please refer to this link:
Practical Screw Sorting Machine (Motor or Manual, Modular)

⚠️ Assembly Apology
For those who have already printed this model but found it confusing to assemble — I sincerely apologize. This design was born during late-night sessions, and at that time, since I was eating too much takeout, the upper and lower parts were literally connected with chopsticks.

Project Overview

This is a collaborative project developed by our team — Bolts Length and Diameter Sorter.
The device is modular in design, consisting of two primary components:

1. A manual bolt lifting mechanism.
2. A bolt length and diameter sorting module.

I personally designed the manual lifting mechanism, which raises bolts one by one and works seamlessly with my teammate’s sorting module to complete the fully mechanical sorting process.

🔔 Note: The files included here only contain the right-side blue-and-white Manual Lifting Module. The black-and-white module shown in the images (responsible for length and diameter sorting) was designed by a teammate and is not included in this upload. For that module, please visit:
👉 MakerWorld Project Link

Working Principle

The manual lifting mechanism uses a gear-driven cam system. Turning the crank drives the cam, which moves the feeding unit up and down, pushing bolts one at a time into the sorting channel.
Once released, the bolts pass through:

1. A modular rail section for diameter classification.
2. A length sorting track.
3. Finally, separate bins for different sizes.

Supported Bolt Types

• Cup-head hex socket bolts: M3, M4, M5
• Supported lengths: 12 mm, 18 mm, 25 mm

Printing Recommendations

• Default slicer settings are sufficient in most cases.
• Thin components (e.g., pins) may break — print extras for backup.
• Gears undergo repeated stress — increase wall thickness to at least 4 layers for durability.

🙌 Special Thanks
To EmGi, whose project inspired the fundamental mechanism behind this manual lifting module.