[Joe G.]

Originally Posted by Xifilzer

But on the other hand we want to keep our current method because it allows kids to get close and personal with tools and encounter problems and learn really deep and intricate concepts when it comes to why mechanisms work, forces, etc that simply cannot be taught via simply assembling a robot. We also believe that our current method is more fun, even though the final product may not be something similar to the high quality of a NASA team.

My experience with precision manufacturing performed by out-of-house sponsors has been the opposite of your worry. By allocating the time that you spend on fabricating your parts elsewhere, you can teach these things even more effectively. You can prototype more in-depth, gaining a deeper understanding of your mechanisms and exploring more concepts, without the looming quality constraints of a competition-ready robot. You can explore mechanisms which demand more precision than you can achieve by hand. You can perform detailed analysis in CAD that you wouldn't otherwise. You get the fun of super-rapid assembly sessions once all the parts get back, and the fun of seeing industrial-grade tools in action if you can arrange a tour with your sponsor.

The bottom line is, real engineers don't spend a lot of time fabricating parts themselves, because these kinds of resources are available to them. And these resources make the job all the more fun and engaging!