Team Gas Diary's

[Gaseraki]

You're a star. Cheers bud

[PJ-27]

You're welcome.

As for the robot stuff, people love plastics are armour at the moment. HDPE weighs 1/8th that of steel, so a combination of the potential thickness you can use and it's great impact resistance (plus the fact that at that width it can also be strutural) means it's very popular.
Ti is great, light and strong but expensive. And then people use wear resistant steels like Hardox for spinner proof armour, but hard to find and heavy.

As for drive transfer I believe lots of people use those chains, but nowadays people are edging towards timing pulleys and belts. They're lighter, don't stretch and don't come off. You can also get HDT belts if you're worried about them breaking.

That grabbing robot looks awesome!

[Ellis]

Looking forward to this build! Will be crazy if this thing still has the grunt at just 2:1.

2mm steel definitely is a deathwish. Pretty much 2mm of anything is a deathwish, save maybe high grade ti. We had I think 4mm steel on the front of our machine for the champs, and after just two fights with the spinner that came 6th (Inertia XL) it was literally like a piece of lettuce. Useless. You're more or less limited to Hardox, titanium or very thick plastic (HDPE works well) these days.

We also happened to use 6mm chain for our weapon and I'd say don't bother, if you can avoid it. It will work, but it stretches an alarming amount (you'll most likely need more than one tensioner), and getting it on and off is a huge pita, we found. We are going to move to "HTD" timing belts. I have good word that 9mm wide HTD5 belts work very very well for drive and spinning weapon transmission. Here's one source of many in the UK: http://www.beltingonline.com/5mm-htd-timing-belts-4575 - payoff in being lighter with the aluminium pulleys, too.

Keep us posted.

[Gaseraki]

In the last version I did used to have 8mm HDPE but the front scoop used to get so scuffed I would almost have to replace it after each event. I dont really need it for support any more as the chassie is quiet strong.
Hardox is of course awesome but isnt the thinest you can get it at 3.2mm still? And thinner its too brittle (something along those lines)
Steel or ti on the front scoop I think is my main options. But im not sure if 2mm steel is too thin
Quite heavy as well at about 1kg just for the front plate
.5 kg 2mm ti - Might look into that

Timming belts are nice. I did get these parts a few years ago and belts where only really availble from specific suppliers and where rather expensive. Now I see them on technobots. Another thing to possible replace for the weaponised version if the chains are unstable.

Thanks for the kind words on the feather. Been wanting to build a heavy like that for years. Infact this is the topic from 2008 (oh my)
highq2dk7.jpgCarnifex Heavy
In the thread there is a video of the mech in action (electric)
Really wish I could make the heavy. Maybe next year. Have prity much everything to do it.

[Ellis]

A while ago I designed a similar weapon! That design looks awesome. I love this sort of mechanism. I came up with essentially the same, just switched around for faster lift...

http://oi40.tinypic.com/a5gah5.jpg

I designed that before this year's champs, I definitely would not build it in that design now, having gained more experience.

[Gaseraki]

Ahh Ellis, chucking a real spanner in my works
Thanks for the advice. I am used to chains gaining some slack and there is plenty of opportunity options to adjust tensioners if its tolerable. If I am having zero luck then I will change it around and get some belts. I dont think they will be taking as much punishment as weapon chains. I am covering the wheels as much as possible to avoid stress.
Armour is causing me more of a headache than anticipated. Dam featherweight spinners looking really dam decent. Think 3.2 hardox or 2mm good grade TI. It will be really well braced because of the chassis and it not being just a standalone part.

Also really mixed on 3.5:1 or 2:1. I have the option to switch between them at least. Torque on these motors is very impressive. About half of a 750. Going to have a play.

Cant wait for the weekend to build me robots.

[Ellis]

I think 3.5:1 is worth it. 15mph is still bloody quick, and you're very unlikely to be able to use more speed in the 5x4m RoboChallenge arena. Our machine does 10mph and it feels pretty quick! When you're pushing a machine you'll probably benefit from having more grunt, and if they're even slightly on top of you you regain grip with their weight so the torque is used.

Magnets might be an option if you want to put the power of those motors to proper use?

[razerdave]

I don't think 4mm steel is as bad as Ellis says so, the chassis of satanix is 4mm steel and the wedges have survived whacks from all sorts. I think it's to do with the way it's constructed, with the wedge plates braced in between the side plates. It has been pierced before, but did not bend like Ellis's plate.

[Ellis]

This is true and should have occurred to me. When 4mm steel forms a tight structure it is still very much usable, just as a freestanding front plate it may not last long. Today's verticals can catch even the lowest of wedges.

[razerdave]

Welded plate underneath the wedge with supporting blocks, welded seam at the front of the wedge. It would be heavy, but rock solid.

[PJ-27]

Why does no one use Stainless Steel? It weighs the same, can't see a noticeable difference in price?

The 2mm stuff I had on BitzaWood stood up pretty well. LH's punch axe head put holes in it, but everything else just scuffed it. It was only really 360 that put it massively out of shape, and even blew holes in it! But we all know what 360 can do.

[razerdave]

The 2mm on the back of Kaizer stood up to Boner, so it could be used, the weight is about a 5% difference which could make the difference to the grams (2008 champs, the weight Marco had to cut out of Trojan was rediculous).

[Max]

I believe stainless Steel is a pain in the a$$ machine and weld. I also thought it was more expensive which I imagine gets more substantial when you go to thicker sheets. But saying that its probably easier than hardox!
But I think people use it for drums on drum spinners- I know that I did and so did drumroll.

[PJ-27]

Yeh I found it harder to drill than Ti!

[harry hills]

As did I. Mind you I did have to drill 10mm stainless but only 2mm Ti