Drive Belt vs. Chains

[MichaelBick]

Originally Posted by Mk.32

The kit frame is belt driven this year.
And we are doing a belt drive WCD, using Gt2 9mm belts and custom machind pulleys.

I know 973 did a pretty slick off season belt drive and I believe 11 MORT has been doing it for awhile to. They work great if you can design it properly.

You can't do belt with a WCD if you are doing an internal cross member. With an internal cross member it is impossible to get the build in/out without dis-assembly of the frame. That said, that's an easy thing to get around(cross member over the rails/no cross member).

[Mugurussa675]

If you don't have any experience with belts then use chain. However if you have experience with belts or know someone who has experience using belts, use belting. I only say use belting because its significantly lighter then chain, and to some aspects easier to use. Such as you don't have to deal with breaking the chain and re-attaching together.

[karomata]

My team has had many bad experiences with belts, so we tend to stick with chain. In 2011, we had belts drive our tube manipulator, and the belts would slip and it would render it ineffective. Chains rarely slip, normally they just snap or break, but its much harder to get a chain to malfunction than it is to get a belt to malfunction.

[pmangels17]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgYnw...XrOpK1&index=2
This is a great resource to see an effective way of running power transmission in a WCD, or any other base style, for that matter.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by pmangels17

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgYnw...XrOpK1&index=2
This is a great resource to see an effective way of running power transmission in a WCD, or any other base style, for that matter.

If you haven't figured out a drive design by now I would definitely not do something so complicated. The design is quite complex and can easily be hard to maintain.

[pmangels17]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

If you haven't figured out a drive design by now I would definitely not do something so complicated. The design is quite complex and can easily be hard to maintain.

That is also true, and I should have mentioned it. A simple, robust drivetrain goes a long way in FRC, and more complex designs need time to be developed.

[nathan_hui]

Keep in mind the old adage: KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid). FRC isn't the place to optimize every little bit out of a design. You do not want a perfect robot, you want a good enough robot.