Currently, on my team, no one knows how to do pneumatics, the people that did, graduated years ago, and we’ve gotten by without pneumatics. However, to prepare for this upcoming season we’d really like to know them in case they’re needed.
Is there anywhere to start when beginning pneumatics? Is a pneumatics board a thing that can be created? (like a wiring board) We have no clue where to start or begin. What does your team do to teach pneumatics?
Here are a couple of guides:[ul]
[li]http://www.team358.org/files/pneumatic/[/li][li]2017 FIRST Pneumatics Manual[/li][li]Pneumatics Step-By-Step[/li][*]Pneumatics For Newbies[/ul]
This will probably help:
Our team does a board but it needs to rebuilt for this year. I’d like to setup a couple hours sometime in December for training our students doing this but more would be welcome to join. I’d talked about but wasn’t able to put together the workshop in time for Massive Mini. Usually we do classes on Sunday afternoon but my preferred date on the 16th is probably too close to finals. Its easiest to coordinate through emails, ours is [email protected].
Most of the above resources will get you off on the right foot. I’d look to stock up on pneumatics parts through first choice. We tend to go with cheaper valve option, like the automation direct valves. Sizing and purchasing the right actuators is probably one of the bigger challenges. I’d probably defer some on that to our mechanical mentor about how he incorporate actuators into designs, for example in CAD modeling. We have used various sources for cylinders, from the official suppliers, eBay, free ones through KoP, built up stock from previous years, etc.
Based on 2018 Manual…since we do not have 2019 FRC Manual…
Can you please describe by a picture and text steps to load air into the cylinders before a match compliant with the event rules…
Example:
1)Robot in the Cue for the next event
2)task 2??? …
…
nth) last task close outside air valve and swap robot battery???
Missing the exact steps to do this both safely and correctly…
Otherwise I would love to just run an air compressor off its own battery FRC compliant, by a separate battery and have the relief value not allow the pressure beyond the allowed 120PSI limit…both easy and safe…The compressor would simply run through a power on off mechanical switch…“I don’t think this is allowed???”
So how it the proper way to use Pneumatics without an aircompressor on board, and without using any of the new batteries power for the 2 minute - ish event match???
You’ve studied Figure 8-15 in the 2018 game manual?
1 put a battery in the robot
2 connect compressor wires to PCM (hopefully using a connector such as Anderson Powerpole).
3 connect tube from offboard compressor, to robot manual valve fitting
4. close manual valve on compressor, open manual valve on robot
5 turn on robot power and enable, it will run the compressor until it reaches operating pressure, then compressor will shut off automatically
6 turn off robot power
7 close manual valve on robot, open manual valve on compressor, this will relaase pressure in tube
8 disconnect tube, and unplug compressor wire
9. replace robot battery with a fresh competition battery
10 go out and win a match
** It is best to leave the previous battery in place and use it to recharge your tanks. Also, it goes without saying that with off-board operation that you want your on-robot pneumatics to be air tight. If there is a tiny leak (1 psi loss in a few minutes), you want to recharge as late as possible so you don’t lose too much pressure waiting
edit: forgot some of the valve steps, but covered above 