Thread: PVC Rollers?
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Unread 26-11-2012, 10:08
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Jon Stratis Jon Stratis is offline
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FRC #2177 (The Robettes)
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Re: PVC Rollers?

We used simple PVC tubing from the store, and added a couple of "combs" to keep the belts straight. The combs were just pieces of polycarb with notches cut in them for the tubing. We placed them relatively close to the rollers, and didn't have a single issue with our belts all year (2 regionals, 2 off season competitions, a competition at the State Fair, and a few demo's that saw the robot running almost continuously for an entire day).

We had a similar conveyor system for Lunacy, but back then we used some solid ABS rollers (really heavy) and machined some grooves in them. I don't know what we did wrong with the grooves, but we had to go in after every match and reset the belts, as they kept jumping out of the grooves and wandering. Making the combs this year proved both easier and more reliable.
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