pic: 6WD Riveted Frame Development

[Tom Line]

Originally Posted by IKE

We have been doing a folded sheet metal riveted frame for 3 years now. While in general I really like it, this years game was particularly rough on it. The high-speed nature of overdrive combined with the less than compliant barrier wall made for some interesting bends in the frame this year. Our material is also a lot thinner as we use mostly 0.060 and 0.050 AL to make our frame.
If you do riveted joints, make sure that you check them periodically after major impacts and/or the end of the day. After a lot of wear and tear, then tend to loosen. Not that I would stop using them, but they do become a maintenance item. Also don't use the largest rivet that will package because having an up size option at competition is handy should they become loose.

We got a particular chuckle out of you guys during the playoffs at MARC. Three of your students had pulled your robot over to the side of the staging area and were beating the poor thing. After a few minutes, someone went and got a hammer and you really started pounding on it.

Whatever you were beating on must have decided to cooperate, because your robot worked brilliantly after that!