Vexecutives
evan.lynch26
Entry ID #: 4009
Created: Wed, Jan 11, 2017 9:37 PM
The part created came to mind when the size of a metal square compared to the size of a cylindrical screw created slack. This damaged the metal itself and overall brought down the quality of the robot by having screws move more than they should. Since these issues continued to be an ongoing problem it was decided that a piece should be made that could both protect the metal and take away any slack between the screw and the metal. The only piece close to what was considered being made was a bearing block, but it was much larger than preferred and still didn’t entirely solve to problem of slack. This new part will be used as an insert into the metal and reduce the current 16th of an inch slack. It has a square bottom that fits into the metal squares and a round top to help keep it in place and to act as a washer, solving the issue of damage to metal. The reduction of slack helps keep screws tighter even when they aren’t fully tightened themselves. This keeps the parts screws are holding from moving, getting damaged, or from reducing the function of the robot during matches or practices. This part can also help line other parts up, such as standoffs. Due to there being no extra space the screw lines up the standoff in the center and makes it perfectly connected to the other side. The part can be installed in a matter of seconds and acts as a miniature bearing block. The part being much smaller than a bearing block keeps it from being in the way of any other parts of a design making it more convenient. With the help of AutoDesk Inventor we downloaded a Vex C-channel piece along with a Vex screw. We then used these dimensions and parts provided by Vex to craft the desired piece. Using this method ensures that the piece would function by fitting properly and still eliminating most of the slack between the metal and the screw. This was also proven to be successful after we printed the piece and preformed tests proving it fit and functioned the way it was intended to. This project taught our team how easy it can be to improve an ongoing problem in the competitive robotic world along with everyday life. A small part that did not take long to design solved a problem that has possibly been going on for years. Fusion or Inventor will be used in the future for solving simple issues like this. It was easy to use and proved to be efficient. This helps on a competitive robotic team because new parts are constantly in demand. Having something to help make these parts into a reality and improve the efficiency of a design ensures any team can reach their full potential and become successful. Learning 3D design software will help in my career path in engineering. When designing new inventions, or improving old ones, it will be easy to make them on a 3D software before making a real life prototype. It can help solve almost any issue in this career path.
