Big Question

[Laser]

Ok guys, this is my big question.
Can anyone tell me how to make the pneumatics for a flipper for less than 100 quid
this is what has been puzzling me for ages.
Thanks

[Metal Demons]

Re: Big Question

Ok guys, this is my big question.
Can anyone tell me how to make the pneumatics for a flipper for less than 100 quid
this is what has been puzzling me for ages.
Thanks

Not doable.

What you'll need for a basic flipper (not the kind of full pressure system that'll throw robots 6 feet in the air, you'd have to get someone to machine a ram and build it for you):

- CO2 tank - paintball bottle or similar.
- Tank shutoff valve
- Regulator, provides the 150psi or so that your pneumatic system will be using.

That leads to:
- Low side vent valve (to air) - vents pressure on the LP side of things when you want to shut the robot down and is left open outside the arena so the flipper cannot fire (important safety feature).
- Pressure relief valve - in case of a regulator failure this vents the overpressure to air rather than letting your CO2 tank pressurise everything to 750psi and blow something up.
- Buffer tank - the regulator can't flow enough gas to violently flip a robot, the buffer tank stores 150psi CO2 and can release it rapidly. It should be sized about twice the volume of your ram for best results.
- 5/2 control valve - this is electrically (solenoid) activated and is what operates the ram. Get the highest flow rate one you can.
- Ram - something like 100mm stroke x 50mm bore at minimum, this attaches to the flipper.

Optional cool things which will make your flipper (or whatever) work better:
- Quick exhaust valve - You mount it to the other end of the ram in the return path to the 5/2 valve, it vents the gas from the other side of the ram when it's extending more rapidly than it would vent through the 5/2. This reduces backpressure and therefore you get a more powerful flip.
- Retract side pressure regulator (self relieving type) - this allows you to use a lower pressure to retract the ram, further reducing backpressure so you get an even bigger flip.

It's certainly doable to build a powerful low pressure flipper, especially if you use a 16 bar cylinder rather than the usual 10 bar, but it does take a few tricks to get a real flip as opposed to just turning them over.

All that stuff, even with judicious use of ebay and spare parts off here, will be a fair bit more than £100! I've got a 100x50mm 16 bar ram knocking about from somewhere if you want it, though.

[Laser]

Re: Big Question

thanks for the advice I could probaly squeeze another 50 quid in.
Out of intrest how much would you sell the ram bar for|

[Metal Demons]

Re: Big Question

thanks for the advice I could probaly squeeze another 50 quid in.
Out of intrest how much would you sell the ram bar for|

25 quid plus postage sound ok?

It'll do 16 bar pressure (250psi) so should give you a bit of a bigger flip than the usual 10 bar (150psi) ones, you'll still need the rest of the system though.

[Laser]

Re: Big Question

I'll think about it