Thread: Mecanum Wheels
View Single Post
  #24   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 15-05-2011, 19:22
EricH's Avatar
EricH EricH is offline
New year, new team
FRC #1197 (Torbots)
Team Role: Engineer
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Rookie Year: 2003
Location: SoCal
Posts: 19,823
EricH has a reputation beyond reputeEricH has a reputation beyond reputeEricH has a reputation beyond reputeEricH has a reputation beyond reputeEricH has a reputation beyond reputeEricH has a reputation beyond reputeEricH has a reputation beyond reputeEricH has a reputation beyond reputeEricH has a reputation beyond reputeEricH has a reputation beyond reputeEricH has a reputation beyond repute
Re: Mecanum Wheels

In this case, I specified nylon, not ABS. Process was SLS (Selective Laser Sintering). Again, I think there was some form of special tweaking to the process for strength.

We did do a test in some form of resin (again, ask ChrisH what type); that broke after a while. Similar process, though. But the nylon wheels are still working, AFAIK.

The reason for saying that 3D printing was a good option--if you could get access to the equipment--is that to do a similar hub with a machining process would need either a 5-axis CNC or multiple steps on a 3-axis. Not including rollers or axles, of course. Rollers are an entirely different operation; axles could theoretically be done almost entirely by hand. (I should know--I made all 32+ axles for the set 330 used on a practice robot.)
__________________
Past teams:
2003-2007: FRC0330 BeachBots
2008: FRC1135 Shmoebotics
2012: FRC4046 Schroedinger's Dragons

"Rockets are tricky..."--Elon Musk