[ChuckDickerson]

All,

While these tests are interesting they are not scientific by any stretch. We (456) are currently working up a more scientifically rigorous test plan to be conducted at an actual blast containment test facility under controlled conditions. We will be meeting with Clippard at Championships to discuss these protocols and will initiate tests early this summer. We endeavor to test as many different variables as possible including all of the various plastic tanks from different vendors as well as the traditional metal Clippard tanks. We have a long list of tests we hope to conduct including impacts, mounting methods, over pressurization, etc. Rest assured these tests will NOT include setting up a pressurized tank in a field and shooting it with a pellet gun or high powered rifle. They will include scientific instrumentation including very high speed cameras, accelerometers, etc. The testing will be conducted this summer under the oversight of engineers who test the limits hardened structures for a living, a FRC Lead Robot Inspector (LRI), and a FIRST Technical Advisor (FTA) all from the viewpoint of how FRC teams are actually using these tanks in a competition environment. We are in a possibly unique position (facilities, expertise, manpower, and financial resources) to conduct these tests as a service to FIRST and the FIRST community. Before anyone jumps to any conclusions that ALL plastic tanks are simply unsafe and should never be used in FRC let’s see what some actual scientific and engineering data says over the coming few months. Please stay tuned.