Building block for a mechanical construction

A bearing comprising:

• a building block having;
• a first printed material printed via an additive manufacturing process on or at least partially embedded in a second material,
• wherein the first printed material is printed in a pattern configured and constructed for cooperating with a sensor for providing position information of the building block relative to the sensor,
• wherein the pattern of the first printed material comprises a first pattern and a second pattern, the first pattern provides a first signal to the sensor, the second pattern provides-a second signal to the sensor, the second signal being different from the first signal, the second pattern comprising a different number of encoding elements then the first pattern, and
• wherein the encoding elements of the second pattern being coaxially arranged and shifted relative to the first pattern relative to provide a combination of the first and second signals that generates an absolute positioning of a gear wheel of the mechanical construction relative to the sensor.

A method of producing a building block for a mechanical construction, the method comprising:

• printing of a first printed material via an additive manufacturing process on or at least partially embedded in a second material,
• wherein the first printed material is printed in a pattern configured and constructed for cooperating with a sensor for providing position information of the building block relative to the sensor,
• wherein the pattern of the first printed material comprises a first pattern and a second pattern, the first pattern provides a first signal to the sensor, the second pattern provides-a second signal to the sensor, the second signal being different from the first signal, the second pattern comprising a different number of encoding elements then the first pattern, and
• wherein the encoding elements of the second pattern being coaxially arranged and shifted relative to the first pattern relative to provide a combination of the first and second signals that generates an absolute positioning of a gear wheel of the mechanical construction relative to the sensor.