How do you build telescopes/forklifts?

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Leav,
We have used manufactured slides in the past. I think our Triple Play robot used slides from McMaster. In other years we have manufactured our own using sheet aluminum bent to nest and telescope. Almost exclusively we use Spectra cable I think from McMaster. It is pretty amazing stuff as far as strength vs. size. We manufacture cable reels using delrin and string them through each section of lift from top to bottom of each section. As the reel pulls on the cable it becomes shorter raising the sections. If you design for two sides to lift, I recommend using a dual reel so that the cables are drawn at the same speed and distance. We have generally used FP motors or window motors in the lifts in the past.