More new AndyMark stuff!
 

There's some cool stuff posted on the site recently. I'm liking the toughbox nano.

http://www.andymark.biz/newparts.html

Keep up the awesome work AM!

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Where is the category that's called "2010 different mechanisms-" Mechanisms that you can mount on top of the chassis that are available for the 2010 game.

Great stuff. Thank you. :)

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Hahaha, we can't let AM do everything for us :)

The Nano Toughboxes look pretty cool!

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Andy, is there any chance you can let teams know what the new optional ToughBox gear ratios are? Thanks

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

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Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Those gear ratios have already been available for at least a year or so; a pre-season design I was working on last fall used the 45:19 gears for the second stage of the gearbox. ;)

Unless a team is buying spur gear stock, AndyMark has pretty much unbeatable prices for stock 20dp gears.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

A Toughbox Nano would've been great this season (quick, who else has had to wedge their gearboxes in odd places to accommodate a mechanism?); I bet we'll see a fair number of these next year in various forms.

One question I have: Does anyone have a good source (including an item page magically appearing on AndyMark's site) on the perforated PVC sheet as seen in the assembled 6WD base? I come from a land of pegboard electronics panels, and they're quite nice--but something a little more durable could be a nice alternative.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

I'm pretty sure that's aluminum, not plastic.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

"Plastic Perforated Sheet Plastic (1/8" thick gray PVC)"- From the AM site

Its not available at your friendly ACE Hardware, Lowes, or Home Depot?

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

From the look of it, the plastic sheet looks a lot like the Sintra PVC Foam board that I used to make the "armour bits" for my Darth Vader costume several years ago.

One source is http://store.foamboardsource.com/ But I looked around at my local plastics supply shops and sign shops. It is primarily used in sign making.

The reason that it is great for costume making, however, is that it can be thermoformed at very low temperatures... I could put it in the oven (yes, in the kitchen) at 225, leave it there for a few minutes then take it out wearing my winter gloves and wrap it around my shin (I had jeans and boots on) and hold it there while it cooled. It formed up quite nicely and has held up through several hallowe'ens.

Jason

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Jason,
Did you try any mind tricks this season? "Those are not the trailers you are looking to score in."

Billfred,
You can find find the PVC material at McMaster-Carr. P/N: 92985T25 looks to be similar to the photo. There are a variety of options for hole diameter and alignment available.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Idea: Move the Nano's output shaft to the other side and you have a good starting point for a swerve module...

EDIT: Did the math, and you could fit a 4" wheel underneath the CIM if you did this - albeit barely.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Can be found here.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Cool....You guys always have great designs and strong stuff.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Looks like AM is going to distribute the new Team221 Wild Swerve Modules: http://www.andymark.biz/am-0496.html

Gotta love AndyMark! Your one stop robot drive shop!

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

I bet the new battery mount is 357's design ... it was interesting to that idea in the 2007 behind the design book.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Is there a better picture available of this? The one on AM is just a logo right now and I'm curious.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

If I remember correctly, there's a better picture in the behind the design book.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba0rWEg0afw

i believe that is it

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

The Youtube clip explains it well. Thanks!

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Andy should link to that on his product page. Very informative.

We've literally mounted the battery a different way every single season and not one of them was as slick as this.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Yeah, we're working on that. I will make these changes by the end of the day.

eStop Robotics is headed up by mentors on FRC team 357: Joe Troy and Adam Schuman. Joe and Adam are trying to bring new things to the mobility robotics market, and I'm excited to see what they come up with in the future.

Sincerely,
Andy

ps... thanks for keeping this thread going. If anyone has questions on AM stuff, you can just post it here and I will answer quickly.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Has anyone else noticed that the standard 2.5" CIM motors are unavailable until Mid-January :eek: ? Conveniently Andy provides links to other retailers but, do you think it's possible they're stocking a new version that will be the default in the 2010 KOP or are they just that much in demand? Not trying to fling rumors, the only reason i wonder is because that's quite a while away, and a little too convenient that they will go back on sale right around when the season starts (and the new 2010 KOP will be distributed to teams). I ask because we were going to pick up a few before the season since we were running low on back-ups. Don't want to buy them from a different vendor only to find out that we can't use them during the 2010 season.
But at the same time I also don't think FIRST would exempt all previous years' CIM motors from being used this year. Ahh, I'm so confused and I'm probably just failing to see something :o ! Opinions? I'm sure one of you can set my mind straight.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Technically they've always precluded previous years' CIMs from being used except as a spare part. So you're supposed to always purchase the new CIM motor model # if you want to upgrade from 2 CIMs to 4.

Inevitibly, one year the kit won't come with any CIMs. What an interesting year that one will be ...

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Regarding the above posts, you might consider that FIRST has issued a caution several times against making any presumptions about what will or will not be permitted for use in the 2010 competition. Any team purchasing materials in anticipation of using them during the build season does so at their own risk. So you might want to think very carefully about expending any significant funds or effort pre-stocking materials before kick-off. You need to ask yourself "are we comfortable making this investment now, if we were to find out at kick-off that we could not use those parts?" How you respond to this will be tempered by your risk posture (and your available budget).

I only mention this as a caution, given the warning that we all read in the first paragraph of this entry in Bill's Blog. As always, we have to remember that the rules from prior years DO NOT apply to this year's competition.

-dave


....

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

[Unsubstantiated Speculation]
There may be a correlation between these things but it is unlikely the one you came to, AndyMark does not know specific details about 2010 (as far as I know) Now, FIRST may have gone to them and said, "I need 3000 CIM motors" or FIRST could have gone to AM's supplier of CIM motors and bought the 3000 motors.

So, to answer your request, No I don't think that AM is stocking the new motor in the KOP because I doubt they know what it is. Additionally, even if they DID know what it is they would be trying to either offload the remaining CIMS (I don't know what percentage of AM's business is composed of FRC teams but if it was significant this would be a logical move) or they would not be restocking them.

As for FIRST saying that we can't use the CIM motors next year :
Anything can happen.

However, CIM motors are quite ideal for FIRST, they provide, in some people's opinion, too much power in a reasonably light weight for a relatively low cost.

[/Speculation]

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Ask and yee shall receive...

Battery Base Update

Looks like a solid buy for $14.00.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

More unsubstantiated speculation: It's not ENTIRELY unlikely that AM would not know about the 2010 game or details about the kit early. They obviously knew about the 2009 game and kit early, being the sole supplier of the wheels used in it.

Perhaps they're not exactly telling the truth here.

That being said, the CIM motor is too awesome to drop out of the kit, but since nearly every offseason drive base, gearbox, etc. is designed around it, I would not be surprised if FIRST removed it from the kit for that reason alone.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

So much of AM's product line is CIM based that I doubt they would purposely not stock CIM's until kickoff so I wouldn't read anything into it.

However, that doesn't mean we will or wont get CIM's in this years kit.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

I have a question about the Toughbox Nano

The picture on your website show that the middle shaft has the bearing held in with 2 screws and the cads show that it uses a hex bearing and a snap ring on the opposite side I am wondering is which is the real way it will be made.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Very good question. I need to upload a new CAD file, since the picture is correct and the CAD is wrong.

The problem is this: our 3/8" hex bearings were delivered last Friday, and the hex was made too small. This hex size should have been 0.375-0.3765", but it came in as 0.372". So, we have this large quantity of too-small 3/8" hex bearings.

The work-around for the Toughbox Nano is to use a regular round bore 3/8" bearing without a flange, and then retain the bearing in place with the two screws.

We are still working on getting the correct 0.375" hex bearings in, but we don't know an exact delivery date yet.

Sincerely,
Andy

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Andy,
Is there a way you can rebroach the hex in the center to get it up to >.375 ? There has been a couple of times where we've made our "hex bearings" (1/2 flanged bearing w/ a pressed in 1/2" OD 3/8" ID bushing) and had to rebroach them after everything was pressed together.

Brando

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

I'm guessing it's hardened after broaching, in which case the answer would most likely be no.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

No AM black friday deals? :rolleyes: :p

Guess I'll just have to save up some money for a pair of the shifters.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Yes, this is correct. We tried to broach these and just trim off the 0.001-2" per side, and the inner race immediately cracked. That steel is hard, and so is the broach.

Andy

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

I was there at 4 AM to get in, but the line stretched all the way across the front of the building and out to the Chrysler Plant on 31.

AM must have had some awesome deals.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

Yeah thats what I figured, but it was worth a shot I suppose.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

# The ball bearings page includes new quantity pricing and more bearings
# Roughtop Tread and Wedgetop Tread now can be purchased in 10 foot spools of 1" wide material

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

The 2010 USB Disable/Stop button is now available.

http://www.andymark.biz/am-0515.html

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

This could be quite useful!

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

I'm starting to really like this Toughbox Nano thing. It's very light and really simple to design into a drivetrain, perfect for the Battlebot I'm working on. :D

In competition it would be a nice lighter replacement for Toughboxes for stuff like mecanum drives.

Re: More new AndyMark stuff!
 

I am too -- it allows for a single-speed drive train with four direct-driven wheels. Since the transmission is all one piece with 1/8" walls and two bearings supporting the shaft, I'm inclined to believe that four of these things are able to support the entire weight and impacts of an FRC robot so long as attachment to the frame is given careful consideration.