Quote:
Originally Posted by Jamie Kalb
but you're probably better off just keeping them facing outwards.
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I disagree. The sideplate will tend to be pushed inward by any contact from other robots or field elements. In such a case, your flange will tend to be in compression. Such a small flange will buckle. If the flange was on the inside, it would be in tension, a mode that is far stronger than the compression mode. Try it yourself with a piece of angle.
Second, you might consider putting flanges on some of those inside cutouts. Yes, it ends up a little heavier, but because the outer flange is not continuous you will suffer from low rigidity (and low resistance to bending) at certain points; use flanges to compensate.
Akash, when you're doing your analysis, be sure to model loading from another robot hitting you from the side at several locations.