@Joe, thanks for the information.
To preface all of this, the winch was designed before I did any gearing calculations, I was just futzing around with solidworks and thought it might be interesting to put up on CD.
The winch was indeed designed as a main robot winch and was designed primarily to fulfill these criteria.
- Not back-drivable
- Cheap
- Minimal amount of machining capability
- Lifts above platform in 20 seconds
- Doesn't involve a powered "release" mechanism (such as a latch or pawl)
With regards to speed: It isn't important that it does it quick. The winch is designed to be a bolt-on-bolt-off lifting arm package should the robot require it. All that the team needs from a winch is the design criteria above.
Perhaps you could offer an alternative method? I've racked my brain but everything I can think of is either difficult to implement, costly, or a mixture of the two.
EDIT: So it looks like it could raise itself close to 5 feet in 20 seconds if operating at 40W peak the entire time, correct? (and of course presuming correct gear ratio for that)
@Chris- AM 8mm hubs. The window motor hubs have the 1/2" shaft section ground off (or lathed) such that a hub can attach to them. This is of course presuming that the input gear to the toughbox isn't easily retrofitted to a non 8mm shaft.