Forklift Materials

[jferrara]

Hey guys, our team is incorporating a forklift design into our robot. It is probably going to be a continuous design. We are unsure of what material to use, since 80/20 might be too heavy and will cause us to tip over. We need to support the ball and a rather large manipulator, which would potentially require a strong and sturdy elevation system. We have a fully functional wooden prototype complete with pulleys and a drive system. The only thing stopping us from starting on our actual elevatoin system is the fact that we are unsure of what medium to build the forklift out of. Has anyone used any material in the past that has been weight efficient but also very sturdy? Thanks in advance.

[Tottanka]

1947 has made 2 steel forklifts in 2007, each lifting one robot to 17'', so that's quite strong, though heavy.
This year 1947 is building a forklift once again, gonna be all Aluminium, sizes are to be chosen tommorow.

[EricH]

Aluminum C-channel, I think around 1.5" wide x 1" deep with 1/8" thickness. (Might be 1"x1", same thickness.) Fasten the top and bottom of each stage together with plate. It's strong enough to take the full weight of a robot on a three-stage lift--and cable-run, in my experience. Even with holes in the C-channel on the wide side, never had a serious material problem.