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Unread 24-06-2002, 02:30
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#0047 (ChiefDelphi)
 
Join Date: May 2001
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Re: EVERYONE, ANSWER THIS PLEASE!!!

Posted by Warren Boudreaux at 03/19/2001 8:50 PM EST


Engineer on team #180, S.P.A.M., from South Fork & Martin County High School and Pratt&Whitney.


In Reply to: EVERYONE, ANSWER THIS PLEASE!!!
Posted by Rob DeCotiis on 03/18/2001 1:50 PM EST:



First, figure out what you can work make. Knowing your limits is the most important thing. A good machinist can make a mediocre design work great. Mediocre manufacturing can make the best design stink.

After that it's a team effort to figure out what the drive system is supposed to do. Speed? Traction? Light weight? Ease of maintenance? Reliability?

With unlimited money and unlimited manufacturing resources you can come up with a great design. Anything less than that is a compromise. Engineers call it "System Optimization".

Give up speed for traction? Make it heavy but reliable? The choices are many.

Pardon my drawn out oration, Rob. But your question is not nearly as easy to answer as to ask.

If you are really serious, I would recommend building several prototypes in the off-season and see how they work.

Snoop around the pits at Nationals to get some ideas. Bring a camera and lots of film. Ask questions. Some teams think of their designs as trade secrets and some have no problems explaining how their's work. Come by Team 180's pit. We'll be happy to talk to you. Assuming we aren't in the middle of a re-build.


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