pic: Rastogi 8wd Iteration 1.2

[548swimmer]

Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi

Solidworks 09-10 thanks to our Solidworks sponsorship through Marie Planchard.



Its .09" thick sheetmetal. I'm not totally positive what grade of aluminum most teams use in their construction so right now I just had it set to 6061 T6. Anyone want to answer that?

6061 T6 is crazy strong, and really expensive. Depending on where/how you guys machine you might look at a 50XX series alloy with a lower temper (T).

As for the flanges, putting them on the inside is the way to go. I was working on a kicker guide plate this year that had roughly 300lbf concentrated in the center. The plate spanned 16 inches from side plate to side plate and didn't bend at all. The flanges not only put the material under the type of stress it is strongest in, but also increases the second moment of area. This is the same reason why I-beams are so strong and that you should move the cross supports down some.

If at all possible, make the flanges continuious. Any gaps will concentrate the stresses in that area. FEA will be your friend in this endeavor, and I reccomend messing around with just a flanged strip of metal first with fixed constraints on the outermost sides. His will give you an idea of how much flanges help, as well as what happens when a flange is not continuious. If you can master sheet metal strengthening, your team will love you.