Vertical Tracks for Forklift

[GeeTwo]

We're using 2"x1"x1/8" aluminum c-channel for the frame and roller support. Since our height restriction is constant this year (don't have to be shorter at startup or go under some bar somewhere), we went with a single-stage lift rather than the two-stager shown above.
To keep the lift plate level on the roll axis, we're using two chains rather than one. To control pitch rotations, we've made a "double-decker sandwich" of teflon and aluminum. The center piece of aluminum is shorter than the others, and the c-channel frame fits into this groove. There's about a quarter inch of left-to-right play at the center that curves up to about half inch at the top and bottom. We're hoping that'll be enough to prevent binding. If not, we'll cut out a shape similar to half of a woodworiking biscuit from the central plate and put a matching piece of teflon there. Should that fail, we are considering rollers made of radial bearings mounted on bolts: two bearings on each side, all inside the C-channel, with the top one meeting the c-channel on the front face and the lower one contacting the back face. If we go to rollers, we'll have to move our limit switches, which are roller switches mounted inside the c-channel.

[GortGortGort]

We are using tel-power poles retrieved from dumpster diving .
Call around to electrical company's they toss these everyday .
Love free stuff !
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/41182

[abross]

We are using 80/20 for the rails 80/20 rollers.

[ttedrow]

Originally Posted by Loxmyth

Igus sent track/rail sections in the KoP. We called them and they are sending us a 72" track, not free of course, but they do give FRC teams a discount.

Depending on the moment created by the position of your lift, the IGus rails included in the KOP may not meet your needs. IGus does have several other rails that will work. Expect to see three of them on Team 281's bot this year.

[pfreivald]

We're using 1-5/8" aluminum strut designed for overhead applications. The carts are steel, but well-built and easy to mount to.

[Bryce Paputa]

1x1, 1/8th wall 6061 Al c channel. Don't have it completely together yet, but it seems to be working great.

[PaulEleven]

Vexpro's linear slide gusset kits with 6061 1x2 tubes, kinda bulky but it'll have to do.
The kits just came back in stock yesterday.

[Alpha Beta]

In 2011 we found roller-blade wheels in aluminum angle worked well.

Close-up.

[Michael Hill]

Originally Posted by asid61

Check your local metal shops if you haven't already. We get our stock from Alan Steel, although I want to investigate that place the Poofs use in the offseason.
This place has 2 x 1 x 1/16" but it's 6063, not 6061: metalsdepot.com part# T321116.

Yeah, I wasn't kidding about the east of the Mississippi thing. Don't use 6063. You want 6061-T6. I've called about 2 dozen metal suppliers. It's really not as common as you think it is. And I checked some major manufacturing areas. I found only one in Cleveland and they were wanting $11.50/ft, which is ridiculous. Dayton is a no-go and so is Cincinnati and Columbus. I had to laugh at a comment in the thread for it that it should be available at any decent metal supplier. If it's not available in major manufacturing cities like these, then someone is a bit deluded.

Also, the Poofs get their 6061-T6 from Coast Aluminum.

[nuclearnerd]

We're using these:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#6738k41/=vnxcue
http://www.pbclinear.com/Download/Da...ear-Guides.pdf [pdf]

They're kind of expensive at $60 each roller (for four), plus another $80 per rail but they will save us a ton of headache. I know from experience that linear bearings are hard, and bad bearings make it harder This way, the elevator can tolerate some unbalanced loading, has zero slop, goes together easily (with versaframe) and slides with low friction, even under load.

[nuclearnerd]

Originally Posted by MichaelBick

I definitely would recommend against using 6063. It almost seems like a completely different material

We've got the worst of both worlds The only thing in stock in town is 1/8" wall 6063. For comparison, Versaframe (3/32" wall, 6061) is 60% stronger and 20% lighter by my calculations. (Although the thicker wall tube is 18% stiffer.)

The downside of Versaframe is that it costs about double what the 6063 costs from Metal Supermarkets (on a per-foot basis), only comes in 5' lengths, and has a shipping delay. But considering the extra strength and the usefulness of the pre-drilled holes, Versaframe is worth the premium for critical parts IMHO.

/derail

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by Michael Hill

If only we could find 1/16" wall east of the Mississippi....it is a REAL struggle to find that stuff. There was a thread a while ago that was looking for sources for it, but all of those seem to have dried up. Does it even qualify as COTS anymore if we can't get it? It shows up in some catalogs, but if you call them up, they just don't carry it. Alro said the only way we could get it would be through a custom mill run...

You will pay a price premium, but out of area suppliers will cut and ship to you.

It seems a bit odd to me that an entire side of the country can't get it, but it's available at pretty much every aluminum supplier out here.

Seems like an offseason task to find someone who will freight 2000' of it or something, and split it among teams.

Quite a few west coast teams use 100+ feet per year, so 2000' could go really fast among a good size group.

[KrazyCarl92]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

You will pay a price premium, but out of area suppliers will cut and ship to you.

It seems a bit odd to me that an entire side of the country can't get it, but it's available at pretty much every aluminum supplier out here.

I tried this before the 2014 season and tried 3 different places that seemed to have good regional coverage out west. None were willing to ship the 1/16" wall tubing to us in New York. We were able to get a supplier for 0.080" wall tubing, I could try to find more information on that if folks on CD are interested.

[JesseK]

Our usual Aluminum supplier stopped selling 6061-T6 tubes, and we ordered 6063 in the pre-season without realizing it. It gums up the bits from time to time, but that's the worst of it so far. We'll have to add quite a bit more support to our lift though .

Anyone else seeing that as well? We haven't needed more aluminum since the bulk order, so I still have time to find a better supplier.

[FrankJ]

In terms of the elevator masts 6063 has the same stiffness as 6061. I don't thing you will come close to the yield strength of either. Of course some one somewhere will be the exception.