We are happy to announce that we have completed our efforts in securing a manufacturer here locally in Michigan and the QAS will be 100% made and assembled here in Michigan, USA. We are opening the pre-order process now at https://manlyinnovations.com/store/
This system is a true tool-less quick attachment system. Once mounted to the robot and bumper, you will have no need to use any tool to attach or detach your bumpers, or any other implement or sub assembly you want to apply this to.
These systems were proven with @ridge478 and team 1506 Metal Muscle in 2019 from week 0 through World’s and post season competition in China. With their durability, these can be reused for follow-on seasons where allowed by FRC.
Transparently, we have some technical difficulties with our e-commerce to include shipping. We have created a work-around where we are asking customers to add the shipping as a product to the purchase in the cart. It is $10.40 USPS flat rate anywhere in the US. Outside of the US we are asking for you to email us through the website so we can process your order and international shipping.
We have 3 options for products:
-Set of 4 QAS - FRC Bumper Kit (4 QAS with 4 extra QAS tang plates)
-Single QAS body and tang plate
-Single tang plate for other attachment locations
We will have 3D CAD block models available this weekend to email out to all pre-order customers for design efforts.
There are different ways to mount the QAS. One way is as follows:
Mount the QAS bodies or the interfacing tang plates to the frame of the first robot using the through holes and hardware.
Engage the QAS’s with the tang plates.
Set the bumper with supports in position at the desired height and set the angle plate that will attach the tang plate or QAS body (depending on the orientation you have chosen for mounting) in place over the top of that against the inside of the bumper, using 2-sided tape to set the position of the angle plate to either the QAS body or tang plate, and mark where you will drill to mount to the bumper.
With the tang plates or or QAS adhered to the angle plates, insert the drill in the through holes only to mark the hole locations.
Pull away the angle plate and drill the marked holes and use hardware to mount the QAS bodies or tang plates.
Take the first completed bumper and engage the next set of QAS bodies or tang plates to the interfacing parts on the completed bumper and set double sided tape to the base of those parts.
Set the bumper over the the second robot and settle it to where either the QAS or tang plate is in position on the frame of the robot.
Press the release buttons on the QAS bodies to disengage and remove the bumpers.
Start back at step 1 to drill and mount the QAS bodies or tang plates, and repeat the rest of the steps to mount to the second bumper set.
Congrats Joe!! I know personally how hard you have worked on this design, and having watched them perform flawlessly throughout a full competition season, I can attest to how robust and simple these are under the rigors of FRC. I can also see these being utilized for way more things on the robots than bumpers.
https://manlyinnovations.com/qas/
The website shows a video of them installed and the team changing bumpers. You can see them on the front rail of the robot. I will look to see if we have any more but typically we are bad at picture taking.
Here are a bunch of images of the prototypes being mounted, then shown mounted. There is a video on our website of the bumper being swapped - with zero tools. Don kindly shared the video from our website.
Thanks all for your patience. We have the block models available now that we will email after the completion of each order so you can begin designing today For those of you who are able to teach your, or have someone on your team who can use a CAD software we can provide SolidWorks or STEP files. For those of you that use the other CAD (Cardboard Assisted Design) - you know who you are we will also provide an STL file to throw in your 3D printer.
Just one other note - these are 100% made in the USA. Under the circumstances of producing quality products in a post-pandemic manufacturing and logistics environment, costs can only be so minimal and must be realistic. What you are getting is a well-engineered product that will add minimal weight (12oz for a full set) to your robot, and provide the ability to keep the bumpers as an afterthought, while removing the risk of that afterthought coming back to haunt you during competition. During the design phase in January, the QAS will also provide the ability to modularize your robots and even your transport setup for gear and work areas. No limits with creativity!
The QAS supports the purpose of leading up the next generation of engineers. This does mean planning and designing. The goal for Manly Innovations this year is to help teams improve their ability to design and engineer with products that will advance the future capabilities of innovation.
Is there any reason you couldn’t mount the Body to the bumper and the Tang to the frame of the robot? I’m assuming the holes in the front face of the Body go all the way through.
You absolutely could and yes, those through holes go all the way through. The cleanest and most straight-forward way of mounting these would be to attach the body to the bumper, but it would just be much more costly to do so because you would need more of the QAS bodies to accommodate two bumpers per robot. Is your concern weight or making an angle plate mount for the tang plate?
When removing the bumpers it just seems like it might be slightly easier to have the button you push attached to the bumper, so you can do it one handed.
Each engagement or disengagement action will be one-handed per QAS either way and there literally is no difference in access to the release button. It is a choice of flipping it 180deg to have either the bottom of the QAS facing up or down. The release button will always face inside and there is the added secondary lock option with the through hole that is on the release button for a cotter pin to minimize the concern of accidental disengagement (which was never an issue for team 1506 when they ran them).
Whichever way you mount them, you are going to have a pushing down to engage the QAS whether you are pushing on the QAS body or tang plate. And disengaging is just as simple by pushing the button.
I am hearing a lot about the need to simplify the process for mounting the bumper systems being used so in an effort to help simplify the mounting process, I modeled up a mounting plate using common 1"x1" angle plate. It would be good to know if most would rather just make this simple part themselves, or if you would rather purchase it. Either way, the goal is to make this process as easy as possible for everyone, so let me know. I can send the CAD model for all who have or will purchase the QAS, or I can have these made and sell them. Your feedback is much appreciated.
Below are the simplified steps:
Mount the QAS bodies to the frame of the robot using the top through holes with flat head screws, washers, and nuts of your choice (10-32 or M5).
Assemble the mounting angle plates to the tang plate using the face with the two holes which align with the two holes on the tang plate with flat head screws, washers, and nuts of your choice (10-32 or M5).
Engage the the tang plates to the QAS’s with the upright angle plate facing out to the inside wall of the bumper.
Set the bumper with supports in position at the desired height and set the angle plate that will attach the tang plate and mounting angle plate against the inside of the bumper
Mark the locations where you will drill to mount to the bumper and remove bumper to drill pilot holes for wood, or other hole sizes for the specific hardware you are using to mount any other material type of liner for the bumper, i.e. stamped or sheet metal.
Disengage the tang plates/angle plate assembly screw to the inside of the bumper assembly using the required hardware per your mounting choice.
Set the completed bumper assembly over the robot frame and confirm your alignment with the tang plates and OAS’s and press each tang plate in for engagement. Confirm you’ve heard the “click” and the release button will be exposed.
If you are using 2 bumpers per robot, repeat steps 2-6 for the next set of bumpers.
Just a note here - these instructions would apply for those mounting the attachment systems without designing in CAD. That said, it is best to design ahead of time how your attachments will be mounted to both the robot and the bumpers in CAD so you can be precise and more importantly, so students can learn good engineering practices as a consistent part of the build process.
Can these latches operate under load? Ie, if you were use them under a 20lbf axial load (aligned with the pin), would the actuation still release them when pressed? Or would you need to remove that axial load for the mechanism to work?
The release can be actuated with a 20lb load, but the spring load inside would not be able to lift that load, so it would you to lift the load while pressing the button. The spring rate assures the core plug to return to its closed position as the tang exits the QAS body.
we will also provide an STL file to throw in your 3D printer.
