Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris is me
Machining it from solid seems time consuming; I wonder how long it would take to make some with outer "plates" and AL tube though. I think 1625 does something like that.
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That's not all that dissimilar to what the IFI traction wheels are.
And it's even more similar to how 612 used (still does?) make their wheels. Except they use(d) PVC rather than aluminum. They gave the wheels great reviews the first time they used them (2007, iirc) and I know they've used the concept again. I do remember a drive failure they had in the semi-finals at VCU in 2007, and it might have been a wheel, but I'm not sure.
I'm interested in a different take on composite wheels. Not wheels made from a "composite material" (carbon fiber, etc), but rather a wheel made from multiple materials. In order to reduce weight, many teams use less material in locations that experience less stress. I'm curious about using a
different material in those locations could possibly lead to even greater weight reductions. Or course, this requires more machining and some system to attach the two materials, but it's an area that I don't think has really been explored yet.