GT2 pulley generator for 3D printers and small CNC
Choose the tooth count, belt width and bore — the outside diameter comes out exactly as on aluminium GT2 pulleys (20 teeth: 12.22 mm), with flanges, a hub and two set screws in captive nut traps. Gates doesn't publish the GT2 groove, so each groove is built from the belt's published tooth shape, with a fit setting for your printer.
- Each of the 20 grooves exports as one smooth extruded face — a spline, not a polygon — and the lands between them as true cylinders at the 12.22 mm outside diameter: 63 faces in all, so CAD measures the outside diameter, the bore and the flange directly.
STEP AP214 in millimetres, exact B-rep — it opens directly in SolidWorks, Fusion, FreeCAD, Onshape or Inventor, and goes straight into a CNC quote form. STL for the slicer is one click too.
How it compares
This generator
Typical online STL generator
Vendor CAD library
Any size within the range
Yes
Yes
Catalog sizes only
STEP with exact surfaces
Yes
Usually an STL mesh only
Yes
Changes the sliders don't cover
“AI edit” on the page
No
No
Account needed to download
No
Usually no
Often
Let AI change it
Put the numbers in the link
Every parameter is a link parameter; the link below opens the example part. ChatGPT, Claude or any assistant can write one like it from the parameter list (names, units, ranges) at: parameter list (JSON)
Press “AI edit” in the generator and say what to change — a keyway, holes, a different shape. The AI edits the part's model.py and it rebuilds in your browser, with undo. A few edits a day are free without signing in; to keep the result or go further, copy it into your models and continue with the AI agent.
For bigger changes, several rounds, or a part you want to keep: copy it into your models (free account). The Forgent3D AI agent reads the model.py, edits it, rebuilds it and checks the result itself.
1.Open the generator — the model builds right in your browser, nothing to install.
2.Tune dimensions and options in the parameter panel; the geometry rebuilds live in 3D.
3.Export STL / STEP for printing — or ask the AI agent for features beyond the sliders.
FAQ
What is the smallest GT2 pulley worth printing?
This generator goes down to 16 teeth. Below about 20 the belt has few teeth in mesh, and the pulley's tooth tips are only a few tenths of a millimetre wide at any tooth count — about one 0.4 mm line — so many makers print 20 or more.
How do I print a GT2 pulley well?
Flat on the bed, flange down, no supports; 0.1–0.16 mm layers for the teeth, external perimeters first, at least 4 walls. PETG, ABS, ASA or nylon; PLA for light loads only.
What steps/mm does a 20-tooth pulley need?
One turn moves teeth × 2 mm of belt: 40 mm for 20 teeth. A 200-step motor at 16 microsteps makes 3200 steps per turn, so 3200 / 40 = 80 steps/mm.
How do I get a 20-tooth GT2 pulley for a 5 mm motor shaft and a 6 mm belt?
https://www.forgent3d.com/en/generators/gt2-pulley-generator?TEETH=20&BORE_D=5&BELT_WIDTH=6 — 12.22 mm outside diameter like the aluminium ones, flanges, and two M3 set screws in captive nut traps. Download STL to print it flange down, no supports.
My printed pulley is too tight on the belt, or the belt skips. What do I change?
FIT widens every groove: start at 0.2 (droftarts' default) and move 0.1 at a time — https://www.forgent3d.com/en/generators/gt2-pulley-generator?FIT=0.3 — then print the teeth with 0.1–0.16 mm layers, external perimeters first and 4 or more walls.
Can I sell prints made with these generators?
Yes. Models you generate and the STL / STEP files you export are yours: print them, sell the prints, or use them in a product. No attribution to Forgent3D is required.