Materials for FRC

[Chris is me]

It would be cool to see an inclusion of pultruded fiberglass and wood. Both can be used in a lot of places but few know the advantages and drawbacks of either. If you'd like some input on the former drop me a PM.

Originally Posted by lbarger

For example, I saw several robots this past season that used acrylic for shielding the electronics. Acrylic is brittle and can shatter on impact. Polycarbonate is much better suited for this role. Also, while both materials are clear plastic, it is relatively easy to identify the two without potentially destructive testing. The edges of cleanly cut acrylic sheets are usually bright because it is very clear optically. On the other had, the edge of a polycarbonate sheet is typically a dark purple. Furthermore, with polycarbonate, while it is great for impact loads, it does not fair well under constant loading: tighten screws too much and in a few days you will see star burst like fractures.

The only thing I would list acrylic for would be to state that one should never, ever use it on a robot.