Hey,
Does anyone know what the rule on duct tape is this year? Is it allowed to create parts and hold them together or is it a no on using it?
Robo Raiders 
Duct tape under no circumstances is considered a fastener.
Is it expressly disallowed? I see no mention of it anywhere in the rules.
I know for like 3$ a roll, I’m bringing some for emergencies.
Duct tape is not expressly disallowed. For instance you can use it as a label.
Saying duct tape is not disallowed is correct, however it was disallowed (illegal) for a long time because FIRST does not want to see robots held together by duct tape. Aside from the look of it, it can also be a safety issue.
Use zip ties, or bolts, or rivets, or velcro, or any of the hundred other styles of fasteners.
What is the source of this statement (other then 5 year old rules)? Perhaps a better statement is “Duct Tape under no circumstances is a good idea as a fastener on a FIRST robot”.
[quote=“Taylor,post:3,topic:119057”]
Is it expressly disallowed? I see no mention of it anywhere in the rules.[/quote]
Not that I’m planning on using duct tape on my robot, but which rule would prohibit the use of duct tape as a fastener?
Perhaps I’m just missing it in this year’s manual, but wasn’t 2008 the last year that using adhesive-backed tape as a fastener was prohibited?
Although duct tape is not disallowed in the rules, it is not as effective as other things such as zip ties or bolts. Its more of a safety concern.
Like they say, “If you can’t screw it or glue it… Duct it…”
There are plenty of applications where tape is perfectly appropriate. If you describe what you are using it for perhaps we could offer a better opinion as to whether it is a good idea or not.
I am reflecting on a discussion on this subject with a GDC member following a post I made on this subject. The topic was that duct tape has never been disallowed on FRC robots. However, there have been limits on the use of adhesive tape from year to year. The thought that it was illegal is a myth, based on the statements from Dean and Woodie, that if you think about other solutions, something better looking than duct tape is bound to come up. In other words duct tape is cool, it just doesn’t look right on an FRC robot. My statement on it’s not being a fastener is based on the fact that it pulls apart. It is simply not the same as a threaded fastener, a wire tie, or a rivet. It should not be considered a insulating material either. Many products contain metal and are actually conductive and there is no way to distinguish conductive from non-conductive by sight.
Would this be fair to say:
Duct tape is allowed on the robot, but use as a fastener might invite further scrutiny from inspectors, especially with regards to electrical compliance and safety.
?
I would say that is accurate.
It boils down to this:
Can you use duct tape? Yes.
Should you use duct tape? Probably not.
As I have to frequently remind the students on my team:
“The only properly engineered use of duct tape is the sealing of air duct.”
If you are not sealing air duct (which I have seen duct tape used for on an FRC robot), then you are not using the proper material for the application and you have a design issue.
(emphasis mine)
The question of duct tape being allowed is a valid one; in fact, it was disallowed - except for labeling purposes, which you encourage - in years past.
I agree with Taylor- I seem to recall being quite annoyed that we couldn’t use double sided tape to secure non-functional panels with logos on them as far back as 2002/2003 I believe (though I could be wrong).
Around here contractors don’t even use it for ducts, because it disintegrates too quickly from the duct temperatures and exposure.
It’s been ingrained in me over the years that duct tape is always a big no-no on FRC robots, so I always assumed it was explicitly disallowed by the rules.
However, this year the students on my team wanted to use an 8" diameter air duct angling elbow as a passive angler for our shooting assembly and wanted to secure and smoothen the elbow joiners with ducting tape (to which I reacted – illegal!!!). However, after looking over the rules and realizing that this is not actually an illegal material, this application seems a bit more appropriate to me.