[FTC]: New Andymark FTC Products.

Other FIRST Tech Challenge
#1

I thought I would share this with everyone. Andymark is slowly coming out with new products that are designed for ftc. Pretty nice to see this happening. (Some of the below is new today, and others have been released over past few months)

Pricing seems pretty fair, completing with Vex-Pro on pricing, if you don’t care for the large bearing holes.

Sprocket Line. (Ninja Star Line.) FTC and 6 Bolt Hole Patterns.

16 http://www.andymark.com/product-p/am-3282.htm
24 http://www.andymark.com/product-p/am-3283.htm
32 http://www.andymark.com/product-p/am-3284.htm
40 http://www.andymark.com/product-p/am-3285.htm
48 http://www.andymark.com/product-p/am-3286.htm

D Shafts
6mm http://www.andymark.com/product-p/am-3226-100.htm

Rev-Robotics (15mm line) (Yes, not Andymark, but sold by Andymark)
http://www.andymark.com/REVRobotics-s/534.htm

NeveRest Series. (20s, 40s, 60s)
http://www.andymark.com/NeveRest-s/550.htm

#2

Oooooh, I like those sprockets.

And those 20:1 and 60:1 NeverRest motors… I love it.

Options for FTC have really opened up in the last two years with the new rules and new products. It’s great.

#3

Total side comment - is there are better solution than set screws on the D-shaft?

#4

Thank you MattRain, I didn’t see those. This will save us around $130 :slight_smile:

#5

What wheels fit the 4-hole pattern? Sprockets that small would be great for running intake wheels on a chain drive with the motors back inside the frame perimeter. OBTW, does anyone know of a COTS gearbox with counter-rotating output shafts so we could use a single motor? I bet we could use a Vex WCP cam to make the right spacing to engage equal-sized gears. Hmmm…

I also saw that AM now has some 2" and 4" solid “stealth” wheels with hex and keyed shaft bores integrated into the wheels, similar to Colson hubs, though not nearly as grippy.

#6

Our teams are trying something new this year. We are trying to design the robots to use as many “dead” axles as we can, and not rely on set screws. (Drive train, parts of our lift, other arms) Of course, we could go the direction of a Hex shaft for some of the designs, but it can get expensive. There really is no option to go with a keyed version of shaft, like FRC has.

Most FTC teams are scared of moving away from the 4 hole bolt pattern, as they are used to seeing it in most of the Tetrix items. I’m glad to see another company using the same pattern, for those teams to use.

While there is not COTS gearboxes out there designed for FTC, there are some options to make the VEXPro Plantary Gearboxes work with some manufactured parts. http://www.vexrobotics.com/vexpro/motion/gearboxes/versaplanetary.html

There is a 3d Part on thingiverse that can adapt the gearbox to an andymark NeveRest Motor. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1025322

A sizing collar is also needed to make it work, which fits over the Output shaft and the gearbox gear.

We currently use the Andymark 4" stealth wheels. We also have about 16 2" wheels in stock to, that we are no longer using. We love the wheels, but there are definitely some better options out there if you want to pay the bill.

#7