vex pro shifting transmission

[Bruceb]

Anybody used one of these before?
http://www.vexrobotics.com/vexpro/gearboxes/ball-shifter.html

They are cheaper/lighter and available.
Thoughts?
Bruce

[Peter Matteson]

Not yet they are brand new.
Given the design history of the people behind them I wouldn't have any worries though.

[nuggetsyl]

Anybody used one of these before?
http://www.vexrobotics.com/vexpro/gearboxes/ball-shifter.html

They are cheaper/lighter and available.
Thoughts?
Bruce
I am going No since is just came out a few weeks ago.

[clandry94]

We just got two in. They were very easy to assemble and feel very solid thus far. My team will probably report on the forum how they perform for us when we get our robot finished.

[billbo911]

Ours will be arriving today.
With the posting we have been doing in the Linear Path Shooter vs. Circular Path Shooter (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=110682) thread, you can bet we will be posting stuff about these shifters as well.

[Bruceb]

thank you all

[Adam Freeman]

We just received out VEX pro 2-stage gearboxes yesterday.

(1) - The weight of these gearboxes, at least from a subjective standpoint, is unbelievable. The aluminum gears and plastic housing are a significant weight reduction over the standard 2-speed gearboxes of the past.

(2) - The process of assembling them was really easy to follow. We typically have 1 or 2 students working on assembling and documenting how a 2-stage gearbox goes together. They usually take about an hour or so to complete the task. Yesterday, the students were done (with no questions) in about 15minutes. The directions were easy to follow and the design is simple and easy to see how to put it together.

(3) - We haven't run them yet....but the quality of the gears and "smoothness" when spinning by them by hand seems to be great.

(4) - The boxes are really cool looking. Probably not a major point...but you can tell these guys have really worked to get all the finer points of their product right.

We are "all-in" for 2 stage ball shifters this year on our robot. Now we just need to decide if we shift them with pneumatics or motors.

Keep up the GREAT work guys!

[waialua359]

We just received out VEX pro 2-stage gearboxes yesterday.

(1) - The weight of these gearboxes, at least from a subjective standpoint, is unbelievable. The aluminum gears and plastic housing are a significant weight reduction over the standard 2-speed gearboxes of the past.

(2) - The process of assembling them was really easy to follow. We typically have 1 or 2 students working on assembling and documenting how a 2-stage gearbox goes together. They usually take about an hour or so to complete the task. Yesterday, the students were done (with no questions) in about 15minutes. The directions were easy to follow and the design is simple and easy to see how to put it together.

(3) - We haven't run them yet....but the quality of the gears and "smoothness" when spinning by them by hand seems to be great.

(4) - The boxes are really cool looking. Probably not a major point...but you can tell these guys have really worked to get all the finer points of their product right.

We are "all-in" for 2 stage ball shifters this year on our robot. Now we just need to decide if we shift them with pneumatics or motors.

Keep up the GREAT work guys!
Adam,
I assumed you folks made your own custom gearboxes in the past.

As far as the boxes looking cool, that's what I first thought when I saw the VEXPro box of CIM motors on kickoff day.

Glenn

[billbo911]

We assembled the transmissions tonight.

There really is nothing difficult about the process, if you follow the guide (http://content.vexrobotics.com/vexpro/pdf/217-2428-VEXpro_BallShifterAssyInstr_20130104.pdf).

Here is a partially assembled transmission with a touch of white lithium grease.
http://billbo911.smugmug.com/Hobbies/2013/i-tj3ML6f/0/L/20130111_165051%20copy-L.jpg

There is one step that can be a bit tricky.
When installing the pneumatic coupler, the nut needs to be near the very end of the shaft.
http://billbo911.smugmug.com/Hobbies/2013/i-tHDtBZ8/0/L/20130111_175434-L.jpg

Careful inspection of this image will reveal the nut is slightly out of proper rotation.

[sdcantrell56]

what material are the housings made from?

[ttldomination]

what material are the housings made from?

From the VEX website,

Shifter Housing: Glass-filled Nylon

- Sunny G.

[akoscielski3]

what material are the housings made from?

Glass Filled Nylon I believe