Build-Season (Business) + Laser Cutter

[Masterchi45]

Sup, Guys! I am the captain of FRC Team 5438 and a current junior. We are a second year team and I am starting to worry. The guys that started the team were all seniors. They started the team, handled EVERYTHING, and now they are gone. They did not keep someone young with them to reference in the future. We do not know how they handled school and sponsor problems, how they organized, or how they led. I am now the Business Lead of the team.

I have a question to ask. What do the Business Guys do during Build Season? Last year I barely remember what I did during the Build Season. I did whatever they told me (i.e. Design, Calls, and things like that) Please let me know what we should do during the 6 weeks.

Alongisde, what are your takes on a Laser Cutter for the team? I really want a Laser Cutter for the team, which would be used for Services and Robot parts. Should we get one? If yes, what brand (i.e. Epilog) and how much?

Let me know with any questions, comments, or if you want to curse me out. Enjoy!

[mastachyra]

You might want to watch the simbotics seminar series. These have great advice on how to run a team and duties and responsibilities for different team members. Good luck!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALASWt2uDqw

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by Masterchi45

Sup, Guys! I am the captain of FRC Team 5438 and a current junior. We are a second year team and I am starting to worry. The guys that started the team were all seniors. They started the team, handled EVERYTHING, and now they are gone. They did not keep someone young with them to reference in the future. We do not know how they handled school and sponsor problems, how they organized, or how they led. I am now the Business Lead of the team.

I have a question to ask. What do the Business Guys do during Build Season? Last year I barely remember what I did during the Build Season. I did whatever they told me (i.e. Design, Calls, and things like that) Please let me know what we should do during the 6 weeks.

Alongisde, what are your takes on a Laser Cutter for the team? I really want a Laser Cutter for the team, which would be used for Services and Robot parts. Should we get one? If yes, what brand (i.e. Epilog) and how much?

Let me know with any questions, comments, or if you want to curse me out. Enjoy!

Please let us know what resources and machines your team currently has, and we can help with whether or not the laser makes sense for you.

[GeeTwo]

If you haven't already, contact everyone who helped the team last year, particularly sponsors, school contacts, suppliers, and mentors. Ask if they're willing to help again. Explain that you did not receive a good turnover from their previous contact, and would like to clarify what they need/expect from the team and what the team can expect from them. Write it down (or more literally create an electronic document) and pass it on to whomever is doing this next year!

What exactly "Business Lead" means varies from team to team. In the broadest cases, it can encompass everything from soliciting sponsorships to ordering supplies, making travel arrangements, project management, and writing the chairman's award. A good way to start would be to go through the Admin manual's section on team contacts and identify who is on the hook for each of the functions mentioned there; some must be adult mentors, and many others may be. If you and your lead mentors can't identify who it is, do it yourself or delegate it.

[GreyingJay]

This may sound slightly cynical, and I promise it's not meant to, but: if you're able to bat around the idea of buying an Epilog laser cutter for the team, then you're not doing too badly at all.

Our business team has been, and will be, working on the following throughout the year including during build season:
- developing a project schedule for the whole team
- visiting local companies (retail stores etc.) to drum up sponsorships
- sending sponsorship packages to local tech companies
- figuring out how to work with the money we have vs. the money we hoped to have by now (we are currently still short)
- planning team fundraisers
- designing signage for the pits
- designing video/slideshows for the pit displays
- applying for awards
- taking pictures/video of build season for a robot reveal video
- planning travel, transportation, volunteers, etc. for the two regionals
- talking with sponsors about doing community events, workshops, outreach - some of which are part of the agreements we made with specific sponsors
- designing and making buttons and any other team branded merchandise/swag
- thank you letters and Christmas cards (just sent out)

[sanddrag]

A small laser cutter can be useful for giveaways, marking things you own, and for light-duty fabrication. I'm not sure how useful it would be for fabricating actual parts for an FRC robot. Last time I looked at buying a laser cutter, I did quite a bit of research and determined that Boss Laser was who I would most likely go with, given that I was on a budget. At the time about a year ago, their customer service via e-mail and phone was quite good. We ended up purchasing some different equipment, so I can't offer a first-hand account of their products.

[snoman]

Hi
Some things a business team needs to do. Develop a business plan, create website and social media accountsites to get your brand out there. There are awards from first that focus on business plans and media development. Get a presentation together and go find sponsor's. Be prepared to "sell" your team at events. Set up fundraising opportunities.

A laser cutter would be low on my list because of cost. I would look at a cnc plasma cutter with router attachment. It will do almost as good of a job cutting plus more for a fraction of the cost.

[z_beeblebrox]

My team has a Trotec Speedy 300 laser cutter in-house. It's a great machine and has revolutionized our build process (more on that in a second), but is likely pricey for an FRC team at >$25,000; if we had to purchase it ourselves, we'd probably look for a cheaper Chinese machine.

We've used the laser cutter extensively in the last two years, mostly for making robot parts from Baltic birch plywood. YMMV depending on what machine you get, but we've been able to get excellent precision (good enough for gearboxes and bearing press-fits) and turn-around times (<30min on the laser vs 1 week with our sheet metal sponsor). See some of the photos I've posted for examples of what we've used it for.

Be aware that substantial CAD expertise (and iteration with the machine) is required to make good use of the machine's capabilities and that maintenance can be expensive as the laser tube occasionally needs replacement.

I'm happy to answer any questions that the OP or others have about laser cutters or my team's process.

[pilleya]

We are lucky enough to have access to a Universal Laser Systems 50watt laser cutter. We have found this to be quite useful. We are using this machine, to make components for the Throttle motor gearboxes http://imgur.com/a/uJlaR that we are distributing to International rookie teams. We also just recently made a dozen large plaques from 6mm clear acrylic to thank our sponsors. Most laser cutters can cut 3mm and 6mm (or ¼ inch) mdf or plywood very quickly. Due to the relative low cost of mdf and plywood compared with Aluminium. Gussets and gearbox plates etc. can be designed and prototyped on a laser cutter before manufacture from Aluminium on a CNC mill or router.

Last season, we made a lot of spacers, especially hex ones on the laser cutter, these were mainly from Acrylic, which isn’t the best material, especially when pop riveting but it isn't possible to make hex spacers on a CNC mill or a router without a broach. An important thing to consider when selecting a machine is the software. With the right software and a bit of experimentation, you can make material profiles and presets. I have done experimentation with power and speed settings, and have been able to cut Delrin and also Polycarbonate to a usable standard ( with adequate extraction and filtration of not so friendly exhaust gases), but this necessitates constant lens cleaning due to chemical deposition and doesn't leave you with the best looking parts.

A laser cutter can be an effective and efficient way of prototyping and producing robot parts, it can also be effective for making plaques, trophies and give-aways. You really need to consider how you will use the machine, if you are going to take the approach of making many robot parts on the machine then it can be highly effective. However there is a significant initial cost associated with purchasing and setting up the machine. I would personally consider a laser cutter to be a low priority, but it really depends on how you want to build your robot. If you want to go down this path, you might be best off purchasing a cheap one from China. This is because manufacturers such as Epilog and Universal Laser Systems make good machines, but are expensive especially for a model with a large bed.