What types of metal do you use for your robot in general?

[GeeTwo]

As for aluminum grades, we pretty much follow the usual ways things are manufactured, and a bit of research after the fact showed this to be right in the vast majority of cases.

That is, you will notice that 6061, 6063, and 7075 are generally extruded and then tempered. Don't plan to put a sharp radius bend into any of these unless you're going to retemper. (and we don't have the faciilties).

5052 starts off stronger than any of the grades listed above, but does not add much strength in tempering. This is the material of the recent KoP chassis, Vex gussets, and Vex VF angle and c-channel. If we're going to bend some plate, this is our #1 choice. Even with 5052, be sure that you are bending around a radius about twice the thickness of the plate, and bend ONCE. Metal fatigue is another of the one hundred seventy three ways for a team to ill its own robot.