Chassis Materials

[M. Mellott]

Team 48 has used welded aluminum box tubing for our base frame for years, 1/8" wall for the outer box and 1/16" wall for inner bracing. Aluminum takes some practice to weld, both to weld it with proper penetration without burning through it, and to weld it without warping the frame. We've had ours welded up at a local machine shop before, but last year one of our team member's father who works at a steel mill offered his services.

We feel the base frame, the foundation for your robot, is very important to make as solid and strong as possible, even if it means spending an extra couple pounds. That way, it's one "sub-system" that we don't have to worry about down the road, even after many matches. The last thing you want is to have to tear apart your robot to repair a bent/broken frame in the middle of a competition--it could make for a long weekend.