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Unread 06-08-2004, 08:05
Andy Brockway Andy Brockway is offline
Engineer
FRC #0716 (Who'sCTEKS)
Team Role: Engineer
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Rookie Year: 2001
Location: Falls Village, CT
Posts: 458
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Re: It is about the robots (OpEd)

I also agree that without robots there would be a lot less people in FIRST. The robots provide the excitement. Most of my goals are met the day we ship the robot. The learning, cooperation, compromise and communication provide the strength for the team and individuals.

As for buying gearboxes........I build custom assembly machines for a living. Being able to buy an assembly for these machines saves countless hours of design and testing and allows us to deliver a machine in a reasonable timeframe at an acceptable price. So let us take a look at this gearbox I purchased for my latest machine. It took many hours of design, test, refine, re-test before it was offerred for sale. The company manufacturing it does not want to spend money on field failures, service calls and returned product. And since they make more than the one I need, there is data on its life and I get a proven product. But this gearbox was not built with smoke and mirrors. It was produced on machinary that was most likely purchased. That machinary was designed, tested......

The argument of buy versus build is a healthy one. The Mars Rover has many custom assemblies because none existed to meet its specs. The Globe motor with gearbox that we receive in our kit has been reported here to be in both Ford and GM vehicles. The principles of engineering needed to build a gearbox can be learned on other mechanisms. Some teams need to allocate their resources to the game playing portions of the robot. Choices are a part of life. What we learn in building these robots is more important than which part we bought. Look at other designs and at the world around you. Borrow from others and make it better, simpler or even just unique.
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Andy Brockway
Team 716, The Who'sCTEKS

Last edited by Andy Brockway : 06-08-2004 at 08:07.
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