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Unread 06-05-2008, 01:55
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VEX Robotics Engineer
AKA: Arthur Dutra IV; NERD #18
FRC #0148 (Robowranglers)
Team Role: Engineer
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Rookie Year: 2002
Location: Greenville, TX
Posts: 3,078
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Re: Machining Your Own Vs. COTS

Don't get so wrapped up in the "I can make anything on the CNC machine!" mentality that you spend ten hours making a single wheel when you can buy a Colson wheel for $4.50 (and with minimal custom machining) and have it do the same job.

It's all about the cost to benefits ratio, or the return on investment. It it makes sense to machine it via CNC, do it. Otherwise, don't.

Engineering is not about designing everything as custom parts, or making it all "in-house". It's about finding the most effective and efficient solutions with regards to cost, time and resources.
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Art Dutra IV
Robotics Engineer, VEX Robotics, Inc., a subsidiary of Innovation First International (IFI)
Robowranglers Team 148 | GUS Robotics Team 228 (Alumni) | Rho Beta Epsilon (Alumni) | @arthurdutra

世上无难事,只怕有心人.