Like many teams, we built our Bot with numerous VEXpro parts this year and wished for additional products offerings. As the season progressed, we found a few items that use could some improvement for next season.
Here are my rambling’s. What are others looking for?
Integral encoder for VersaPlanetary in the form of a Ring Gear Add-on Kit
VersaPlanetary motor centering ring kit
VersaPlanetary dual motor option
6” version of VersaWheel
Additional gear offerings - More bore sizes including CIM direct mount, think spin box
Additional sprocket offerings - More bore sizes including CIM direct mount
Better tread life on 4” VersaWheel
A true ½ hex bearing, not a broached round – Willing to pay more for a good bearing
Are you really willing to pay more? Andymark’s 1/2" hex bearings are the same price as the current VEXpro bearings and I have not heard of any problems with them.
At $5 a wheel, we didn’t find it that big of a deal to change them out after each competition. If R&D into different tread materials and material costs were to increase the price of the product significantly, I would oppose that change. If a little increase in cost was all that resulted from decreasing wear that wouldn’t be so bad I suppose. I think these wheels are a steal for $5.
They are still broached round bearings - all 3 big FRC sources for bearings (AM / Vex / WCP) do this. WCP’s bearings are broached slightly oversize, while AM / Vex broach to an exact size, and Vex supplies slightly undersize hex shaft for a slip fit.
The most frustrating problem I’ve had with hex bearings is slip-fitting them over hex shafts. Having to mill down every hex shaft you get just to use bearings is a pain. The weird thing is, the gear slip fits from Vex are pretty loose / wobbly, but the bearing bore is way too tight. Seems backwards to me…
I love AM, but of the 6 reviewers that bought hex bearings after the 2012 season, 2 registered similar complaints. I’ve heard of a few more. No one seems immune; there’s been no shortage of issues with hex this year. Note that, in true form, everyone I know reports the companies have been great to work with when a problem is found.
More gear options! I’d love a 54T to continue the n0 n4 tooth trend you have, makes ratio changes down the road easier.
I’d also say more gears for the CIM. I’m afraid of the 11T being aluminum to be honest. I’d love a 14 and 15T for the CIM, 13T if you’re willing! the more options the better here.
The idea of an integrated encoder in the versaplanetery is an interesting one.
Does anybody know what happened to the VEXPro Traction Wheel tires? A thin profile wheel with a tire that doesn’t wear as fast as tread would be incredibly nice to have. That would be one of the top things on my wish list.
We don’t wear tread down on the field quickly enough to warrant concern, but when we’re doing demonstrations for our sponsors and at community events on asphalt, our tread gets eaten up fast. Last year, we switched to regular gray Skyway wheels during the offseason in order to avoid having to replace our rapidly wearing tread. I would prefer not to have to do that in the future, and would appreciate the tires.
Sure, there are other options, but they all have certain disadvantages. Colsons are fairly heavy while the Versa wheels and treaded Skyway wheels aren’t as thin as they could be due to the additional width for directly mounting a plate sprocket. The thinner profile Traction Wheels with tires that don’t wear as quickly would be very very attractive as wheel options.
And we would love to get better bearings, we were fortunate that we got enough good ones to put on our competition robot. The bad ones all went on the practice robot, and it was very amusing to see all the wobble introduced into our practice drivetrain from the eccentric bearings compared to the precision of the comp drivetrain
We’ve taken note and rest assured that new VEX Mechanical Engineer Aren Hill, Paul, John and other members of the team are hard at work and improvements and new additions to the VEXpro product line that we will announce later this year.
We’re in the process of e-mailing out a survey link to make sure we get feedback from as many VEXpro customers as possible, please feel free to fill out and share with others who may not see the link here:
Assuming that next year we will still have the 6 CIMs and 4 mini CIMs, I think it would be nice to have a 3 CIM ball shifter. This would allow teams that want to have a 6 motor drive train to use the shifters as well (without needing to use more than 2 shifter assemblies).
I’m aware of the potential logistical challenges of getting a license to sell a tooth profile which is owned by another company, but having glass-filled nylon timing belt pulleys (specifically in the GT2 profile) would be totally awesome.
I second this. I love belts, and having built-in integration with existing VexPro products would be an excellent improvement to the already excellent line-up. Plus they would look so pretty in black
Our team is not in a position to make our own pulleys. AM’s pulley integration was awfully attractive this year, and bringing a similar functionality to VEX would simply sweeten the lineup.
As said earlier in the thread, I would love to see a three CIM ball shifter. That is all of course if the 6 CIM 4 mini CIM rule stays in place. It would make for many great drive trains for next year.
