We are an FTC robotic team and are comfortable with 3D printing and CNC machining. This year, our competition has a weight maximum and the robot needs to be lifted off the ground, so being light is a plus. To give you a general feel for the need for strength, robots may weight up to 25kg, can push each others but referees forbid battle-bot type of actions.

The pictures below give you an idea of the chassis: there are 2 motors driving two wheels via belts. Motor is attached to the chassis via 4 screws, and wheels are attached via flanged ballbearings. Precision is key for press-fit ballbearing and distance for the belt, maybe 0.1 to 0.25 mm tolerance. Definitely not something that we can hand-drill.

Should we consider a single U-channel carbon fiber, replacing all of the alu pieces below (except motor, ballbearings, shafts, pulley and wheels)? And can we make a mold so that the resulting carbon fiber has all of the key holes in the precise location? We are excited at the prospect to master a new set of technology, would love to learn from the best out there.

Thanks



 

Wouldn't be easier ,  to create a simple  U beam and then lazer cut all the holes?  just a thought