which is better aluminum or steel????

[Kevin Sevcik]

Originally Posted by robolemur1236

Consider style and temperature as well. Aluminum "cleans up" very well and looks professional and in my opinion, its easier to weld and not as messy as steel. When you deal with temperature you need to consider how much heat your robot puts out and if the metal will become brittle under the temperature, then again it all depends on how thick your piece is

Metals actually become brittle under low temperatures. And most FIRST competitions are indoors, so it shouldn't be a concern. Unless, of course, the NJ regional has to be held outdoors this year for some reason.

Heat can affect the temper and ductility of metals, but this is usually pretty darn hot (~500F) So, heat should not be a factor for FIRST robots, really. nothing less than your battery shorting across your frame will generate enough heat to affect the structural integrity of your robot.

And in case any engineer here wants to nit-pick, yes, precipitation hardening aluminum alloys can be over-aged by prolonged exposure to elevated heat. And thus become brittle. But still, most FIRST teams needn't worry about it.