pic: How 1251 shipped.

[ForgottenSalad]

It's a great looking robot, and I agree that that is a great color... nice to see a little differential from silver aluminum... But as far as getting the weight off and getting it reassembled... Where there's a will, there's a way. We had somewhat of the same issue with shipping very overweight last year and this year we ran into the same problem... Just work hard, work fast, and you'll be allright.

[miketwalker]

If I'm not running around like a chicken with my head cut off and you've got an extra drill at UCF, grab me. I'm sure that there are plenty of people that would love to help you work on getting the weight out've that structure to get it back to it's initial design. You guys have put together great work in the past, and like you said, it's just another lesson. I know that 108 went through it last year and they ended up getting their design functioning again. Either way, even without the shooter that's an excellent and very robust design.

In the end, I definitly understand how it feels even if you can't put the shooter on. That's what happened with us in week 4, except that we scrapped the shooter mostly due to not having any sort of machining capabilities. Our design came out and has the same things going for it as yours now, and the more I've thought about it since then, you really have a world of oppurtunities even without the shooter. That would just be a cherry on top. Great job guys, keep your heads up, because you're guaranteed to kick butt either way.

[miketwalker]

P.S. Do you really need that compressor? If you're just using the air to run the shifting cylinders, you can scrap it. If you're using the AndyMarks like we are, you can get well over 100 shifts while staying above pressure.

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by miketwalker

P.S. Do you really need that compressor? If you're just using the air to run the shifting cylinders, you can scrap it. If you're using the AndyMarks like we are, you can get well over 100 shifts while staying above pressure.

The brand of your transmission has absolutely nothing to do with the number of times you can shift it before your air runs out. Anyhow, what pressure are you shifting at? Last year, we shifted at about 45 PSI and got 12 shifts out of one tank. How can you get well over 100? You must have been shifting at a low pressure. We started at about 100 psi in the tank, took 12 shifts, and ended under just 45. But anyway, 12 shifts is shifting once every 10 seconds. So, if shifting is your only pneumatics, you can probably get by with one tank.

[miketwalker]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

The brand of your transmission has absolutely nothing to do with the number of times you can shift it before your air runs out. Anyhow, what pressure are you shifting at? Last year, we shifted at about 45 PSI and got 12 shifts out of one tank. How can you get well over 100? You must have been shifting at a low pressure. We started at about 100 psi in the tank, took 12 shifts, and ended under just 45. But anyway, 12 shifts is shifting once every 10 seconds. So, if shifting is your only pneumatics, you can probably get by with one tank.

I mentioned the transmission because we used the AndyMarks which means you just need to use the 1/2" cylinders. If they did custom ones they might need larger which wouldn't work as well. If you check for air leaks and pump the PSI to the amount allowed it should last for a good number of shifts.

[Stephen P]

There is alot of aluminium support structure you can take out of there and still retain structural integrity. We dropped about 20 lbs just losing extra aluminium bars. Just think minimalisticaly.

[Cory]

I'd second what everyone else is saying. If you're only using pneumatics to shift the trannies, ditch the compressor, and precharge one accumulator before the match. We're getting ~50 shifts off of one accumulator, regulated down to 20 PSI.

Someone suggested taking off the AndyMarks in favor of the kit gearbox. I don't know how much one of their current transmissions weighs, but I'm pretty sure an AndyMark is less than a KOP gearbox.

[techtiger1]

The transmissions use a 1in stroke piston, which is larger then the Andy marks use .75in inch stroke I believe. The wheels for Sanddrag's information are uhmw and were very cheap to make thanks to our machining facilities, they were done with a CNC mill and we just bought the stock which ran under $200.

-Drew

[KenWittlief]

Originally Posted by Cory

We're getting ~50 shifts off of one accumulator, regulated down to 20 PSI....

Might want to check the specs on the pneumatic valves - I think they are rated for a minimum pressure of 30psi? Maybe it was only the big valve but its something to look into.

If the valve only switches half way all the air in your tank will leak out.

[Andrew Rudolph]

Maybe you guys could rebuild that structure using 1/16 wall aluminum, it looks thick in the picture.

You guys are a great team and I am sure you will be really competitive shooter or not.