90 Degree Coupler
keelanhorne
Entry ID #: 3462
Created: Tue, Jan 10, 2017 9:11 PM
2017 Make It Real CAD Engineering Challenge Report Why This Part Was Created For this year’s online challenge Make It Real CAD Engineering, our team decided to create a piece that would be simple and efficient, a 90-degree c-channel coupler. We created this part because it is simple yet effective and can be used in multiple ways. The issue we are solving is that when you try to combine two c-channels to form a 90-degree angle there is a gap in between the c-channels when they connect. Every part that counters our part throws off the lining the whole by half of an inch, but out coupler makes the holes match. How This Part Is Useful With the 90-degree c-channel coupler the structure of a robot would be more stable, this helps control the interior of the c-channels and covers up the gap better than any other tool tools used to combine them. Our team’s favorite thing about this part is that it has multiple holes, so it is maneuverable if you don’t have the right dimensions for the c-channel that you want to couple it to. This saves teams from cutting pieces of metals to fit everything to its components. This part can also be used alone, it is not dependable to just c-channel, it can be used as braces for mechanisms such as towers, drive train, or even things such as an LCD screens and etc. It can also be used to build things such as towers, drive trains, and any specialty mechanisms that you build. How Fusion 360 Was Incorporated Using Fusion 360 was not the difficulty of making this part; the challenge was finding all of the specific measurements of a regular coupler. We figured that if we made this part would have figure out the right measurements for the gap. The parts we used to convert this into CAD were 2 pieces of c-channel and channel couplers. We got a caliper and measured the distance from one coupler to the next and it turned out to be half of an inch. Therefore, we made the maximum dimensions 2 and half inches. Then we had to draw each individual hole in the piece, which the middle of each hole was half an inch apart from each other, from using the caliper After making each side hole we had to draw in the front holes which were the same distance from each other as the side holes. After having the right dimensions of everything drawn in all you have to do is extrude everything to make it look according to the part that is being made. Individual Thoughts (We decided to create this section to give different perspectives on what our team thinks about this part.) The 90° coupler is a unique piece that allows a team to put two pieces of c-channel or any other piece of metal together at a 90° angle. This could prove to be significant in mounting towers, or build drive trains and bases. You may also use them for other unconventional ways such as mounting LCD screens to them, cortexes, or even your nine-volt battery holder somewhere. You could extend your arm in a part where it would fit within the allocated parameters but be efficient in your use of space. I would mainly like the use it to mount towers. I use small 45° gussets to mount towers most of the time. If I do not do that, I will mount the towers to the actual base. Using the new coupler would help prevent crowding the base and also provide a sturdier way to mount towers or extend c-channels without using the flimsier 90° gussets. -Kelvin So, Team Captain The new VEX part that we designed is a 90 degree metal coupler. This piece has many efficient improvements to the process of attaching multiple pieces of metal together. First off, the part is very versatile because it allows the builders a chance to work around metal, for example, which is already cut. Plus, the formation of the piece can be changed for even more accessibility. This piece can be welded into the metal, which is an advantage for the overall weight of the robot. Instead of the metal being heavy steel, it can be made up of two coupled, lighter pieces of aluminum. Finally, the piece could be used on its own in a difficult place the strapping or rubber links may previously be used. The part can fit in tough places maybe next to a manipulator or drive train. –Randy Townsend, Build Team This part seems to be very efficient. It is a very stable part that is a coupler and it can do things that other angle pieces cannot do. It has a strong interior to c-channel and it is not fragile at all. This part is very simple but can be used in complex mechanisms. This is a part that would be cheap to be made and many people could make the most out of this part. –Keelan Horne, CAD Team Conclusion Doing this online challenge has taught more people on our team how to use fusion 360, and it has taught people how to expand their minds more on a building level for robotics. We plan on looking more into creating more parts and using fusion 360 in the future. We have already decided to start brainstorming on making and 3D printing a Go Pro camera mount for our future robots. We use Fusion 360 to build our robot and assemble each individual part on the robot. Fusion 360 teaches our teammates that are not builders how to build and teaches them new parts. Learning 3D designing software would potentially help us succeed in a future engineering careerbecause there is not limit to what you have to build. You get to build whatever you want to build and apply it to real life situations and the best part is that you can even 3D print it.
