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View Full Version : Using vinyl as an insulator?


RyanJK
17-01-2013, 21:41
Hey all! My team is pretty strapped for cash, so we're working on turning things that might be laying around an average home into parts for a robot this year. It's interesting to see what can be hacked onto a robot! We're currently working on mounting our control system onto our robot, and we have a sheet of pre-fabricated perforated aluminum that we are mounting things to. The thing is that we need some material to insulate the cRIO and our vision camera. I know typically teams use lexan, but how do you all think an old vinyl record would do? I know that vinyl is considered an insulator and that it's used in electrical tape, but would cutting a piece of vinyl out of a record and placing it under the cRIO work?

Thanks!

dtengineering
17-01-2013, 21:53
So long as you didn't then run a conductive bolt from the cRio case to the aluminum, of course, this should work fine.

Wood is also a very good insulator.

Jason

Al Skierkiewicz
18-01-2013, 07:56
Ryan,
Teams use Lexan because it doesn't shatter when struck. Depending on the recording you might want to send it to me to listen to, I mean evaluate for you.

Jimmy Nichols
18-01-2013, 08:02
I think you would be better off using some wood to mount your electronics to if your funds are running low.

I agree the World LRI should "evaluate" the vinyl to ensure its integrity.