Hello I am a student working on a project at ASU that may involve us using a AM14U5 - 6 Wheel Drop Center for the base of the project, however we have a upper weight capacity for it of about 350 Ibs give or take an extra 25 Ibs that it may need to carry on top of it at times. Specifically we would like it to support a wheelchair with a person on it. What’s the most weight that anybody has placed on top of this without it failing on them? Or has anybody ever experienced a failure because of weight? I have not been able to find much information about its carry weight and so I turn to y’all for help.
We’ve loaded one up to ~125 and then it was driven around with a student sitting on it. Not sure it was 350, but it was more than a max weight FRC bot. There were no issues and I would not have any concerns going heavier given the way that the axles are supported in the chassis. We had 4 CIM drive using the CIMple gearbox (can’t remember the gear ratio off hand). No issues there either.
I would say that you probably want to avoid the drop center and switch to 4 traction wheels plus 2 omnis if you are going to have a human sitting on it. The rocking back and forth due to the drop center would not be very comfortable for someone riding on top. Or so I have heard…
From the AndyMark page about the HiGrip wheels:
Load Capacity: 90-100 Lbs
So…how much weight will be on the center wheels, vs the end wheels?
How long does it have to last?
the AM14U5 support pneumatic wheels I believe, so use those for a smoother ride.
edit: they are rated at 120 lbs, so that could easily support your load, as long as you don’t go off roading.
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Yeah, the wheel load ratings are probably going to be the limiting factor. If the load is spread out over 6 wheels, then a limit of 120 lbs would be sufficient, but I would expect that the center wheels take a greater percentage of the load much of the time. So, a load rating of 120 lbs for the center wheels might not be enough. I could not find load ratings for all the possible wheels. The aluminum hub 8" HD Pneumatic wheels don’t list a load rating and may be the a good choice given the strength of the aluminum hub over plastic. The 8" plastic dualie omni wheels list a 120 lb load limit, and the 8" aluminum omni wheels list a load limit of 50 lbs. 120 lbs may be enough for the corner wheels.
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Think about ease of turning, if you use pneumatic tires, with that much weight. If it’s still skid steer, it might not work out too well.
that’s why you put omni on the corners.
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