Vex VersaFrame

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by Munchskull

I love the versa frame. My only is issue with it is the fact that it uses 5/32 rivets. What my team chose to do was by the gussets and then make the tube with a cnc. I however see us cnc plasmaing the gussets next year to save money and all allow for 3/16 rivets. I am just such a big fan that I design custom drivetrains after it.

It takes way more effort to CNC plasma cut gussets than it does to drill out COTS gussets for a larger hole size. Especially because you'll probably already have to drill the plasma cut gussets out to get the hole size just right. We just have new students drill out gussets for us when we use COTS gussets.

We're lucky to have a sponsor with a sheet metal laser cutter and CNC brake, so all of our flat parts this year that were 1/8" thick or less were cut by them. Saved us a little money in exchange for a week of turnaround time.

We've never had rivets come loose, except for 5/32nd rivets installed on areas exposed to robot impacts. We use a mixture of 3/16th aluminum and 3/16th "high strength" aluminum rivets on our robots. Ensuring proper installation (properly drilled holes, rivets as flush with the plate as possible, installation of several rivets per part) is a big help, and creates a joint that is both more rigid and lighter than some bolted joints can be.

[Kevin Sevcik]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

We've never had rivets come loose, except for 5/32nd rivets installed on areas exposed to robot impacts. We use a mixture of 3/16th aluminum and 3/16th "high strength" aluminum rivets on our robots. Ensuring proper installation (properly drilled holes, rivets as flush with the plate as possible, installation of several rivets per part) is a big help, and creates a joint that is both more rigid and lighter than some bolted joints can be.

I assume your "high strength" rivets are the interlock style like these from McMaster. We use 5/32 most places, and those 3/16 where we want a bit more strength. The nice thing about those high strength ones is they'll provide a bit of pull-up and clamping when you set them. The hardest thing to get through to my students and other mentors was that rivets won't always clamp a joint together for you, and a gap between the two surfaces is a common cause for joints loosening.

[Munchskull]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

It takes way more effort to CNC plasma cut gussets than it does to drill out COTS gussets for a larger hole size. Especially because you'll probably already have to drill the plasma cut gussets out to get the hole size just right. We just have new students drill out gussets for us when we use COTS gussets.

We're lucky to have a sponsor with a sheet metal laser cutter and CNC brake, so all of our flat parts this year that were 1/8" thick or less were cut by them. Saved us a little money in exchange for a week of turnaround time.

My team has the cnc plasma in shop so for us it ends up being fairly fast compared to delivery. As for drilling them out, it is a fast process, all you need to do is clear it with the right size bit and a hand drill.