Van Door Motor output shaft
 

Does anyone know of a good adapter for the Taigene Van Door motor sold at AndyMark?
http://www.andymark.com/Van-Door-mot...-p/fc12-72.htm

I found this DD Key shaft adapter, but the dimensions don't seem like a good fit:
http://www.andymark.com/product-p/am-0165.htm

Also, this hex adapter may work, but does anyone know where to get hex shaft couplings?
http://www.andymark.com/product-p/am-0168.htm

Re: Van Door Motor output shaft
 

We have made our own in the past. If you have machining and welding capability, bore out some steel rod to slide fit over the shaft. Then mill a flat(s) through the bore to match the depth of the flat(s) on the shaft. Then weld flat stock across the flat(s) to engage the shaft. Alternately, you can visit your local dealer parts counterm, see what the van door motor drives, and you may be able to adapt that for your needs. Your choice.:) :)

Re: Van Door Motor output shaft
 

Rookie team has no access to a mill or lathe, or any welding equipment. I've been searching around locally, but have been unable to find something the right size (even on McMasterCarr) that can directly couple this shaft to another driveshaft.
Any other teams? How did you mount this motor?

Re: Van Door Motor output shaft
 

Is it legally for FRC 2012

Re: Van Door Motor output shaft
 

The couplers? Sure. COTS from a Vendor.

The Van Door motor? Well... That's a tricky question. You're allowed two by the ARA allowance or raiding old KOPs. The question is, is buying an equivalent motor from AndyMark going to be legal? I don't think anybody's asked Q&A that one yet (and I don't think you'd get a usable answer from them, given their track record on tricky questions this year).

Re: Van Door Motor output shaft
 

Prior year's KOP... once again, we are a rookie team. the Van Doors are provided by FIRST Choice and are equivalent to motors in the former years' KoP. Why would it not be legal to get an equivalent motor?? If this is indeed illegal, it would be a HUGE disadvantage for a rookie team.

Re: Van Door Motor output shaft
 

Right. That's the commonsense approach, which I would normally consider a good one. But... we're dealing with rules that give a source here.
(emphasis mine)

The question is, is an equivalent motor not obtained through either the ARA or through an old KOP legal? In the spirit of the rule, I would say so; otherwise, rookie and sophomore teams do not have the available power that everyone else does (without raiding the local ARA for parts, which may not be practical for some teams, say the Canadians or Israelis). By the letter of the rule, however, it is not legal.

[deleted question for Q&A]

EDIT: Actually, someone already asked Q&A. The FIRST Choice van door motor is legal. Common sense wins.

Re: Van Door Motor output shaft
 

EricH, by my interpretation of the rule you post, it IS totally legal because this Van Door motor WAS in a prior year KOP. The fact that the physical motor itself was not a used motor in a physical distributed kit doesn't matter. The Kit of Parts is an idea, not an object.

Philosophy aside, I really wanted to get back to the question at hand, and that's how have teams have attached this motor to an actuated driveshaft in the past, or can give us tips on where to get such a compatible item??

Re: Van Door Motor output shaft
 

Right. That's the interpretation the Q&A had as well. See the edit in my post above. (Or did you read that far down?)

The other interpretation, which is the one I had before seeing the Q&A, was the "rule says these sources, this is not repeat not repeat not one of those sources, therefore illegal". This interpretation is now null and void (and I'm glad someone asked the question before inspections, otherwise an inspector might have taken the interpretation I did).

Re: Van Door Motor output shaft
 

What are you planning to drive with the van door motor? Have you tried contraction your local vo-tech, community college, or a local high school that might have the equipment to make the part for you. Are you connecting to a shaft or drum? :)

Re: Van Door Motor output shaft
 

In 2006 we drilled a hole the same diameter as the motor shaft in one of our rollers, and drilled through the shaft and roller, and pinned it with a small bolt. As I remember, the shaft was not hard to drill.

Re: Van Door Motor output shaft
 

Weld a sprocket on the output shaft.

Re: Van Door Motor output shaft
 

They don't have the capability to weld, mill, or turn parts. PM me and I should be able to help you if you give me some detail on what you want to drive with the van door motor.

Re: Van Door Motor output shaft
 

AM sells a hub with a 10MM hole. The door motor shaft is 11MM or .435 in. according to AM. A 7/16 drill is .4375. This is slow speed so if it was me and I had only a drill press I would buy a hub with either a 10MM hole or smaller and drill it out with a 7/16 drill. Actually, that is exactly what we did last night.
Hope that helps.
Bruce

Re: Van Door Motor output shaft
 

Thanks all. Decided for our application, drilling a hole through the DD bore portion of the shaft and using a bolt as a drive pin will do the trick. I'm sure there are more elegant ways to do it, but Week 6 is upon us :-)