Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Copioli
Team 217 does exactly what Arthur explains happens on 228. We do everything in CAD and simultaneuosly do prototypes for critical items. If the prototypes find a particular geometry that work, then we will immediately CAD it in SolidWorks to get the manufacturing dimensions. See the attached pdf for an example of one of our assembly drawings.
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This process is especially AWESOME when you work with a manufacturing facility that works directly off the 3D solid models. We are lucky to have a sheet-metal shop that takes our part files designed in Solidworks, auto flattens them and sends them directly to the laser cutter / turret punch for creation.
I typically send CAD files to the shop late at night, and have parts ready by the end of the next business day. When you combine this quick turn manufacturing with a robot that is well designed and "drops together" it makes for some incredible meetings. It is easy to feel like our team is behind until one day *poof* the robot appears. This quick stuff also helps us do more iterations on our designs as we work to tune in the robot. Design is after all, an iterative process.
To answer the question of the thread, we CAD EVERYTHING.
-John