Quote:
Originally Posted by DampRobot
I regard a team as "elite" as one that can more or less depend on making it to championships every year.
While there are exceptions to every rule, I have found that many of the high preforming teams in my area either have sponsors that machine a large number of parts for them, or have many CNC type machines that allow them to manufacture complex parts themselves. While I don't really want to turn this into another "ethics of fabrication" thread, ability to manufacture quickly seems to be a common element in teams that preform at a very high level year after year.
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I think you may have been generalizing a lot with the "Elite teams have parts made for them" statement, but I'd absolutely agree with you. Whether they make the part themselves via their own equipment, or have a sponsor machine the parts for them, good machining capability can be a staple of making a great robot. If nothing else, it opens doors to new possibilities.
This year, my team experimented with Swerve drive. We never would have been able to fully manufacture a prototype and competition bot without A) our CNC mill to make the modules, and B) one of our sponsors making us the frame. The machining was solid, the programming was a little sketchy, but overall, we had a style of drive train you don't find on the 'average' team. Our machining capability played a huge part in that. And because of that, we can continue to improve it. Should the decision be reached to do so.
I agree, lets not turn this into an ethics of sponsor machining debate, but I have to agree that machining certainly helps. If you have access to CNC machines, laser cutters, water jets, etc. you'll be able to manufacture components of a higher caliber which, in the end, can lend itself to a higher caliber robot. It's not necessarily a direct correlation, but I certainly can't deny that it helps.