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Unread 10-02-2003, 14:17
Unsung FIRST Hero
Al Skierkiewicz Al Skierkiewicz is offline
Broadcast Eng/Chief Robot Inspector
AKA: Big Al WFFA 2005
FRC #0111 (WildStang)
Team Role: Engineer
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Rookie Year: 1996
Location: Wheeling, IL
Posts: 10,770
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Re: Drill Motors....OVERHEATING, DRIVETRAINS!

Quote:
Originally posted by Brian48216
How are your drivetrains shaping up?

For some reason our drill motors are tripping the breakers really really badly. We don't seem to be able to get any torque out of the motors cuz once the robot stops on the ramp, it's next to impossible for it to start moving up again without tripping the breakers. The robot doesn't weigh all that much (we're at least 50lbs under limit)
And the motors seem completely unresponsive for the first few degrees of input from the joystick.

To add insult to injury...it's overheating.
There's a familiar smell of burning after a few minutes of run time.

Did I mention both motors had their brushes pop out?
First, if you can't get any torque on the ramp, I would think your gear ratio is too low so the motor is running very low on the power curve, but then... You mention that both motors had their brushes popped out and I begin to wonder if the brush assy isn't damaged/misaligned causing some electrical problem. The most worrisome is the smell. I have always held this axiom..."If it smells burned, it is. If it is burned, replace it. If you don't replace it, it will fail when you need it and then thumb it's nose at you by sending smoke and flame in your direction."
BTW, what was your design speed and are you able to achieve that speed on a flat surface?
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Good Luck All. Learn something new, everyday!
Al
WB9UVJ
www.wildstang.org
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Storming the Tower since 1996.