Andymark.biz

Technical Technical Discussion
#1

AndyMark.biz is up and running. We have 3 products for sale:

  • AM Shifter
  • 8" Trick Wheel
  • AM Planetary

Prices for the 8" Trick Wheel and AM Shifter are set. The AM Planetary is having a design upgrade and the price will be set within a few weeks. Details for these products are listed on the website.

We are close to being able to receive credit card payments through the website. If you want more info, either contact Mark or I through our website or PM us (Andy Baker / Mark Koors).

Thank you for the support and encouragement we have received.

Sincerely,
Andy B.

6 Likes
Should teams be allowed to reuse fabricated items and/or build before Kickoff
Support your Friends at AndyMark
#2

Very nice job. I like how you will allow for some options with the products. Looks professional, too. I’ll definitely have to notify my team of this.

#3

Andy

Stuff looks great.

I am the kid that must have the first one on the block.

I will order two shifters and two planetarys. I’ll hold off on the wheels for now. Email me when I can enter a formal order.

Best of luck.

Mr. Bill

#4

This is probably a dumb question, but do these come preassembled?

#5

Andy,
Site looks great, and the products look awesome!
Congratulations on making this happen! Best of luck to you and Mark.

I’m already trying to convince my team we need some “new toys” for this season. Expect my order soon!

Rock On,
John

#6

Yep, pre-assembled and tested. Our quality assurance for the AM Shifter tests the unit for the amount of drag, therefore estimating the efficiency.

Andy B.

#7

Perhaps you should consider offering a power transfer hub for the omniwheels (keyed, hex, etc). I know several teams used two omniwheels and two regular wheels in a 4wd configuration.

#8

What are the weights of the items?

1 Like
#9

Hmm… How will this effect the biz?

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30130

#10

As long as we get to keep the CIM and FP motors then the Gearbox can still be used with the AM Planetary.

#11

The FP motors were sold in the garage sale, so they are out too.

#12

So, just checking for my own record, if something goes to the FIRST yard sale, we can expect that it won’t be in the KOP for next year?

Has a similar-but-different-enough-to-make-the-original-illegal product ever made it into the next year’s kit? Otherwise, that AM planetary might be doomed from the start.

#13

All the time

#14

As I understand it, the garage sale was clearing out several years’ worth of older FP motors. There’s no indication that they won’t be supplying “fresh” ones in next year’s kit.

#15

The site looks awesome… with great products… one of the best ways to help teams out who would need help with the drive train… Good Luck Andy and mark… :slight_smile:

#16

That’s what’s so sweet about the AM Planetary gearbox…modular design so that the gearbox can be used with any combination of the CIM/Fisher-Price/Drill motors. They should be good…unless FIRST changes all the motors :ahh:

Good luck guys!

#17

Andy and Mark,

I agree with Bill. I want to be the second on the block to get some pre-built trannys. The question I have is - if we buy them now can we use them on the robot in 2005? Do we know the official ruling on this?

Also, some advise on the Urethane wheel options for the Omni wheels: Softer material gets more traction, but make sure to use a high enough durometer, otherwise the weight of the robot will cause too much deflection of the rollers and they will not work very efficiently. I had experience with this last year.

Raul

#18

Now this is just a hypothetical question, and please don’t be insulted by it. If Andy Baker learned through his volunteering with FIRST that all of the motors would be changed, would it be illegal for him to stop making and selling these and begin making compatible products? I was just thinking along the lines of illegal stock tips.

#19

We have not sought out an official ruling, and I don’t have a plan to do so. Tomorrow, I could buy standard gearboxes from Bayside, HD Systems, Boston Gear, Mectrol, or others. These standard, purchased gearboxes would be legal on FIRST robot for 2005, if FIRST keeps the rules the same as they did last year. Why should our standard gearboxes be treated any different from the ones that are currently available in the industrial market?

(For the record, FIRST has not told us what motors are in the kit for 2005. We have some educated guesses, but no “for sure” information.)

Good question, and no offense taken. I could see that IF FIRST told us which motors are in the kit, they could require us to not be on a team. I am not saying that they would do that, nor am I saying that we would agree to do that, but I could see them asking.

On the other hand, I cannot see them coming out with a rule stating “teams can buy any mechanical part they wish, from any vendor, as long as it is not from AndyMark, Inc.” This seems unreasonable to me. Call me crazy, but I am assuming that FIRST may like that certain companies are marketing directly to support FIRST teams. They should see this as a good thing, I hope.

Speaking of supporting FIRST teams, Mark and I have decided to post complete CAD files of our 3 current products on our site, in “STEP” format (.stp). This way, teams can plop our CAD models into their designs and see if they fit. Teams can then choose to purchase our assemblies or make (and/or alter) these designs themselves. We think that our prices are low enough and our delivery will be good enough that teams will want to buy from us. If teams are pinching pennies, they can buy certain parts from us which are difficult to fabricate and then make the rest of the design themselves. Stand by for an update on our site about this.

I will post an update here when the STEP files are available on the site.

Andy B.

#20

Here , at the bottom of the page, there is a link to our 8" trick wheel step (.stp) file.

Similar CAD files for the gearboxes will come soon.

Andy B.