Pre-charging pneumatic system

[cgmv123]

Originally Posted by MrBasse

Spend some time on that, we left ours at 115 on a Friday and came back on a Monday with it at 110.

Stored energy over the weekend!

[Mark McLeod]

Plan for holding pressure a long time.
You don't want to drop any pressure for at least 10 minutes, preferably 30 minutes.

A match cycle is 6-8 minutes on average.
Some take longer. There are delays when schedules get too far ahead and things have to be slowed down, Head Ref match reviews or hearing of student appeals or corrected scores, robot connection issues, overly long team introductions, being on-field for Opening Ceremonies, or unscheduled VIP drop-ins.

The actual match is only 2 min, 10 sec of that cycle time.
Add a minute for you to be finished in the queue before carrying the robot onto the field.

If having a lot of trouble, then practice making foolproof connections off the robot on a simpler layout where it's easier to identify what's going wrong.
Fresh Teflon tape every time a screw fitting is tightened, perfectly square cuts on tubing ends, remove worn tubing ends, identify leaky components (dump valve, regulator, solenoid, pressure gauge, cylinders-extended & retracted), and damaged parts.

[JesseK]

Add 20-45 minutes if you're told to be on the field for opening ceremonies. Add an hour if it's champs.

[DonRotolo]

1 PSI per minute is a bit high. 10 PSI per minute is cause for panic!

Make up a weak solution of soapy water and paint it onto each and every fitting. Bubbles will point to the leaks very quickly.

[Jarren Harkema]

Ouch! I didn't realize how bad that is! I will definitely be pushing for curing those leaks during our robot access period. Thanks everyone!

[Pendulum^-1]

When I teach a team new to pneumatics, I emphasize that each component should be leak checked extensively before installing it on the robot. I know that this advice is a bit late for your 2014 robot, but it has helped out team immensely over the years. As we typically check each component a week or two prior to installation, final installation is typically a function of hooking up the hoses, and doing a final pressure check.

[Tem1514 Mentor]

One very common place that many teams overlook is the Festo screw in fittings that seem just impossible to make tight from the outside. The trick is to insert the correct size metric allen key into the fitting to allow you tighten the fitting to the body.

[Jim Wilks]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

Fresh Teflon tape every time a screw fitting is tightened,

Thread sealing tape is NOT Teflon.

[MrBasse]

Originally Posted by Jim Wilks

Thread sealing tape is NOT Teflon.

Nor is it thread sealing...

[Mark McLeod]

Originally Posted by Jim Wilks

Thread sealing tape is NOT Teflon.

Sorry, PTFE.
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that has numerous applications. The best known brand name of PTFE is Teflon by DuPont Co.

[MrBasse]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

Sorry, PTFE.
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that has numerous applications. The best known brand name of PTFE is Teflon by DuPont Co.

But DuPont doesn't manufacture any form of tape product for use on threads...saying Teflon is like asking for a Kleenex...

[Mark McLeod]

It's probably an age thing. I ask for a Kleenex all the time, and I still Xerox stuff for the team.

I'll try to be better.

[geomapguy]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

It's probably an age thing. I ask for a Kleenex all the time, and I still Xerox stuff for the team.

I'll try to be better.

Better than my dad who calls any PTFE as "tape dope"

[FrankJ]

Originally Posted by Jim Wilks

Thread sealing tape is NOT Teflon.

That might be technically correct, but enough people call it that to make it an accepted practice.

[MrBasse]

Originally Posted by FrankJ

That might be technically correct, but enough people call it that to make it an accepted practice.

But it isn't accepted by the people who own the name Teflon:http://www2.dupont.com/Teflon_Indust...flon_tape.html