Consider the following...

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Posted by Joe Johnson.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]


Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.

Posted on 1/17/2000 7:02 PM MST



I am ready to live with the rule concerning no manufacture of replacement parts after the machine is in the box.

But... ...ARE WE AS A FIRST COMMUNITY READY?

Considering the following:

A very strong team, let's say a team called B's Mfg. Co./Team Indiana, wins its first regional, a tough regional, let's say the Windy City Regional.

Then suppose that they then go on to its second regional, another tough regional, let's say the Motor City Regional.

Suppose that B's Mfg. Co./Team Indiana wins that regional as well!

But, unfortunately, in the process of winning the last match of the Motor City Regional, this great team breaks a part that requires significant machine time, plus welding, plus perhaps heat treating in order to perform its function (note to myself, re-read the rules to see if heat treating is legal this year!).

So... unless B's Mfg. Co./Team Indiana has actually already made a spare part, this part will not be able to be made down in FL on the site of the competition as is required by the rules FIRST has recently propagated.

So... Suppose that B's Mfg. Co./Team Indiana has not actually made that part.

Are we ready to have a two time regional winner sit by the sidelines with a severely disabled machine because they were not allowed to remake this part?

I would rather have them fix their machine and be 100% at the Nationals.

What do you think?

Joe J.

P.S. While many of you will no doubt think that winning multiple regionals is not very likely, it has happened on occasion ;-)