Rules on making spare parts fyi

[DougHogg]

In case anyone else is wondering about the rules on making spare parts, here are some questions and answers on the subject from the Team Forum, and also the info from Team Update #20.

From the Team Forum at http://jive.ilearning.com/index.jsp:


nee622
Posts: 2
From: Raleigh NC
Registered: Jan, 2003

Final Date of Machined Parts Posted: Feb 7, 2003 10:01 PM _
According K4
It seems as if there is no final date by which spare parts may be machined. We were wondering if there is a final date by which all spare parts need to be machined?

first
Posts: 1,572
Registered: Dec, 2002

Re: Final Date of Machined Parts Posted: Feb 9, 2003 12:29 PM _
Identical "Spare Parts" may be produced at any time. "Spare Parts" may be fabricated at the competitions. They must be "identical spare parts" and not "new", "additional" or "alternate parts". FIRST relies on the spirit of "Gracious Professionalism" to enforce this restriction. "Spare Parts" need not be accounted in your budget.
36F



team1099
Posts: 1
Registered: Feb, 2003

Adding Parts at the Competition Site Posted: Feb 11, 2003 6:45 PM _
May parts be added to the robot at the competition site, as long as the robot still meets the weight and parts rules? Obviously this means parts are added after shipping to FIRST.
[Edited by: first on Feb 12, 2003 11:06 AM]

first
Posts: 1,568
Registered: Dec, 2002

Re: Adding Parts at the Competition Site Posted: Feb 12, 2003 10:48 AM _
The only parts that you may make after shipping are identical spare parts. You must ship your entire robot on shipping day.
You may make additional parts at the competition.
36F
[Edited by: first on Feb 12, 2003 11:07 AM]



jv00123
Posts: 22
Registered: Jan, 2003

Tools and Parts at the Competition. Posted: Feb 20, 2003 5:30 PM _
Are we allowed to bring tools to use and some extra parts such as metal right angles for use on the robot on the Thursday before the competition?
[Edited by: first on Feb 20, 2003 10:18 PM]
[Edited by: first on Feb 20, 2003 10:28 PM]

first
Posts: 1,571
Registered: Dec, 2002

Re: tools and parts Posted: Feb 20, 2003 10:27 PM _
You may bring tools and identical spare parts. You may bring raw materials to make parts. You may not bring new parts. You may make parts, fix parts and replace parts at any time during the competition.
36F



BobA
Posts: 1
Registered: Mar, 2003

Changes RE: After robot has been shipped? Posted: Mar 3, 2003 11:26 PM _
Last year it was illegal to manufacture parts after the robots were shipped. This year we can not find that rule. According to a recent post, are we to now assume that the rule has been added,...almost two weeks after shipping, or did we misread the rules? If we DID read the rules correctly, isn't that rather unfair to change the rules at this point, after we, and other teams, have invested time and money modifying some components, which we had planned doing AFTER our robot(s) had been shipped?
[Edited by: first on Mar 10, 2003 10:17 PM]

first
Posts: 1,577
Registered: Dec, 2002

Re: Changes RE: After robot has been shipped? Posted: Mar 10, 2003 10:51 PM _
There is no specific rule in the Manual that states the restrictions on additional work after shipping. The intent of documenting a shipping time and date is to insure that what is in the shipping crate is the finished robot and that all teams are shipping finished robots on the same date. The design and construction are to be completed by the shipping date. FIRST has allowed construction of identical spare parts for replacement. Additional design and construction is not expected because the robot is supposed to be finished when it is shipped. In the spirit of gracious professionalism, teams are expected to complete the project by shipping date. Also, in the spirit of gracious professionalism, teams are not expected to keep on working until they arrive at a competition. This, in effect, gives teams that compete in the later competitions an additional 5 weeks of construction time. You should not have modified components during this time. You may modify components at the competitions. It appears that you planned on giving yourself an extension of the construction period. FIRST has answered many questions about appropriate work after shipping in this forum. Because of these numerous questions, FIRST issued the comments in update #20.
36F
[Edited by: first on Mar 10, 2003 10:51 PM]



From Team Update # 20
8 of 9
PARTS FABRICATION AFTER EVENTS
In order to better allow teams to replace robot components that fail or do not work well at
competition events, FIRST will adopt the following:
1. At the competition events, teams can build whatever they want:
? Spare parts;
? Replacement parts;
? Extra parts;
They must be fabricated on-site utilizing available fabrication resources. We are,
however, concerned about the potential for teams to over-utilize the competition machine
shop in the fabrication of new parts when the shop should be dedicated to repairing parts
required to keep robots running and able to participate. Therefore, a machine shop?s top
priority will be repairing parts with fabrication as time allows
2. After each event in which a team participates, the team has until midnight Wednesday
(local time) immediately following their event to repair and/or fabricate new
mechanisms and may bring these parts and mechanisms to any subsequent events. As
before, we must rely on the gracious professionalism of teams to adhere to the rules of
the FIRST Robotics Competition.
3. Teams are allowed to purchase raw materials (wheels, gears, metal stock, etc.) and
bring them to event sites in preparation to fabricate custom parts or mechanisms on-
site at events.
4. Unchanged is the policy that teams may not perform part fabrication or repair of parts
off-site when the robot is at an event (i.e., no taking parts back to your hotel), and that
teams must ship all robot parts at an event site directly to any subsequent sites.
Example: Team A is attending two regional events. At their first event, their robot
breaks a gearbox. Team A must ship their robot and all it's parts directly to the next
event site they will be competing at. However, Team A has until midnight
Wednesday following the event to fabricate a new gearbox and bring it with them to
their next event.