Week 4 - Building The Crate

[xitaqua]

Hello All,

It is exciting to be on Week 4, I have been visiting many teams here in the St. Louis Area and have seen many exciting things !!!!.

Does anyone have a BOM (Bill Of Material) for building a crate ?. Something a team can take to the near by hardware store and purchase ?.

I would like to take back this type of information to the rookie teams I plan to visit this week.

Cheers,
Marcos.

[MrForbes]

five sheets of 7/16" x 4' x 8' plywood, ten 8' 2x4s, one 8' 4x4, and a box of 1.5" deck screws. And some big screw eyes and rope to tie the robot down.

That's off the top of my head...from last year's crate. Looks like we'll be able to use it again!

[EricH]

Have you read Section 4 yet? It has the general requirements. If you know the size, you can run the numbers.

Squirrel has it about right, though. The 2x4's are for interior support, so you can't have too many. Leftover scraps can be used to help tie down the robot

[Justin Stiltner]

When you are building your crate remember that other crates chould be stacked ontop of yours for storage during the regional. No need to freak out about it as most solid crates wont have a problem with this, but some are not so solid.

[MrForbes]

Also remember that you want it to weigh LESS than 400 lbs, with the robot (and whatever other stuff) inside. You can use slightly thinner plywood, 3/8" is the minimum I would use. And you can possibly use 2x2" pieces of lumber instead of 2x4s, but they would more likely to split.

If you study the picture I posted above, you'll see that it is designed to be built as several subassemblies (and can be disassembled into those subassemblies easily). The sides each have four 2x4s screwed to them, the top and bottom have two 2x4s on them, and the rear and (removed) front panel are just plywood. There is a lip along the bottom where the plywood extends past the rest of the crate, so that the front panel can rest on it to make it easier to hold while screwing it into place. The bottom has additional 2x4s to support the frame of the robot, the wheels sit in the recesses between the 2x4s so that they are not touching the crate...that way, they won't be damaged by rough handling or rough roads.

I think you might also need some 3" long screws to attach the sides to the bottom, and for other miscellaneous uses.

[Team 135]

Yes really be careful when it comes to weight, out crate has been over for a few years now and every year we pay extra because of it. Plus we have to lift it into the back of a semi and a few pounds makes all of the difference when you are lifting it above your head.

The other thing to be careful of is being able to open and close the crate multiple times without compromising the integrity. While we were at Purdue last year we were frantically drilling new holes because the screws had pulled out of the wood.

[xitaqua]

Hello All,

I have enclosed an estimative for the Crate #1 mentioned by Squirrel, it comes about at $87.50

Team 135 brings a good point about "...being able to open and close the crate multiple times without compromising the integrity..."

Does anyone have a list of material to make a "door" for a crate ?
If someone post the material necessary, I will go get an estimate for a Crate in which I will creatively call Crate #2.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by xitaqua

Hello All,

I have enclosed an estimative for the Crate #1 mentioned by Squirrel, it comes about at $87.50

Team 135 brings a good point about "...being able to open and close the crate multiple times without compromising the integrity..."

Does anyone have a list of material to make a "door" for a crate ?
If someone post the material necessary, I will go get an estimate for a Crate in which I will creatively call Crate #2.

What you might do is add the following to your list:

2-Hinges (need to be able to go around the outside, or on the inside.

1- padlock

1- padlock mounting hardware--attach to the outside opposite the hinges. Make sure that you keep the key/combination handy.

Attach the hinges to the "door" side. Put the padlock hardware so that it can lock the crate. Done.

[xitaqua]

Hello Eric H,

Thanks for your ideas for a crate w/ a door.
The estimate is at $108.52
Enclosed is the spreadsheet with 2 different estimates.

In St. Louis we might have at least 4 rookie teams that will need to build a crate, and so far I think they have not started on this project.

I might think this might be down to the wire on President's Day.

[MrForbes]

Using screws to hold the opening sides of the crate on provides more structural integrity than using hinges and a hasp. The "stacking" strength of the crate I showed is based on the sides all being screwed in place, not hinged.

[xitaqua]

Hello squirrel,

I understand that if we put hinges on the design you mentioned it might compromise the structural integrity.

Is there anything that can be done so we have a sound design that has hinges ?.

What other material might be needed ?.

Cheers,
Marcos.

[xitaqua]

Very cool !!!.

Here is what I have from squirrel info :

QTY MATERIAL DESCRIPTION
5 PLYWOOD 7/16” x 4’ x 8’
10 2x4 8’
1 4x4 8’
BOX DECK SCREWS 1.5”
??? SCREW EYES To tie the robot down.

Cheers,
Marcos.