Have Trailer, Can't use it... Bad News

[archiver]

Posted by Andy Baker.

Engineer on team #45, TechnoKats, from Kokomo High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.

Posted on 2/18/2000 8:01 AM MST



I have some bad news for the teams who were planning on bringing 'portable machine shops' (trucks or trailers with fab. equipment) to any 2000 FIRST Competition:

We can't use them.

FIRST has decided (actually, FIRST's insurance provider) that teams like us who were planning on bringing a trailer full of nice equipment cannot do so. They decided that it was too difficult to control, and too risky to let happen this year.

From what I heard, there are many insurance and legal issues that cannot be handled before the Competitions arrive. FIRST said that this might happen on 2001, but not 2000.

We were planning on bringing a drill press, belt sander, band saw, welder, mini-mill & mini-lathe.

FIRST knows that this year is not a good year to implement this policy, and they will need to accomodate the extra fabrication demand with their machine shop.

This all translates into three things:
1.Drive the begeebers our of your bot to try to find any defects... but don't break it too badly.
2.Make plenty of spares now!
3.Wear your safety glasses in the pits, 'cause there will be some major 'precision alterations' happening all around you.

Regards,
Andy