![]() |
Q. Best sheet metal design?
I will preface this by stating that I am reposting this on behalf of my brother. as he hasn't used CD that much...
Hello everyone. I am trying to learn more about what: thickness, type and alloy other teams have made their sheet metal drive base frames from. My team tried .125" 5052 aluminum, but it was a little heaver and more malleable than i liked. i would love to hear what your team used or any knowledge you may have on this topic. i don't quite have a specific design in mind yet, i want to see all the options i don't know of first |
Re: Q. Best sheet metal design?
Thinner 5052, used in better shapes and bent such that the geometry of the part provides the structural support you need. .090 5052 is pretty commonly used and works well. My team used .125" this year because of the rough game (and the lack of other things to take that weight up), but generally .090 is preferred.
If you're having problems with strength, deflection under load, etc. it's most likely a design problem and not inherent to the material. Sheet metal is harder to get right than tubing based designs. If you / your brother have some specific examples / photos of where this material has let you down in the past, I can try and provide half-decent design advice for working out the bugs in the future. |
Re: Q. Best sheet metal design?
Both 5052 and 6061 are commonly available in sheet form. The Yield strength of 5052 is only 28KSI, where 6061 is 40KSI. The 6061 is easier to machine, you can weld with either.
Unless your worried about corrosion resistance, stick with 6061 sheet. We typically use 1/16" plate (0.063) unless there is a need for something heavier. If your bending 0.125" sheet you will definitely need to have a larger bend radius on your sheet metal brake to not induce stress cracking. http://www.americanmachinetools.com/bend_radius.htm |
Re: Q. Best sheet metal design?
Quote:
If your frames won't include many complex bends or require minute and difficult welds, 6061 is an amazing alloy. EDIT: A complete aside, but teams 2024, 5052, and 6061 are missing out on some of the coolest potential team names ever. Whoever becomes team 7075 has a great opportunity. |
Re: Q. Best sheet metal design?
Quote:
There really isn't any appreciably difference in the cost of ER4043 or ER5356 filler for 5052 and 6061 respectfully. Good welding takes considerable practice however; and does not appear to be a common skill with most high school students. The over focus on performing well on standardized tests has eliminated most shop class options in the middle and high schools. We avoid welding aluminum if possible. We fully CAD, water-jet the aluminum sheet, bend, and rivet. You can replace a riveted assembly; you can't take apart a welded assembly. Pneumatic riveting through a series of water-jetted holes is also significantly faster than setting up for a single weld. |
Re: Q. Best sheet metal design?
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
|
Re: Q. Best sheet metal design?
Quote:
|
Re: Q. Best sheet metal design?
Do teams use steel sheet metal on their robots? If so what alloys and thicknesses are most common?
|
Re: Q. Best sheet metal design?
Quote:
|
Re: Q. Best sheet metal design?
Quote:
|
Re: Q. Best sheet metal design?
Quote:
We use it mostly for mock ups, prototypes, and guards. Traditionally we plasma cut it with the vent fans turned to 11. We also use a shearing press when simple shapes are needed. The beauty of steel over aluminum is that we can bend it, flatten it, then bend it again and again and all is well. We have often made structure and manipulators out of galvanized conduit as well. After a rough match, you can hit steel with a hammer or pull on it really hard to force it into place and you're ready to go with enough time left over to help your aluminum neighbors replace an entire assembly that got bent too far. The entire superstructure on our 2014 bot was a mix of 1/2" and 3/4" conduit reinforced with 24 gauge galvanized sheet metal. |
Re: Q. Best sheet metal design?
Quote:
Since we got access to a mill, we added 1/4" plate to our repertoire. Sheet is good for certain problems, and milled constructions are good for others. |
| All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:00. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © Chief Delphi