My 12 lb combat
robot assembled
using Nutstrip.
Motor City Massacre during
construction; mini Nutstrip was
used heavily in the construction
of the frame.
Nutstrip is used to hold the chassis
together along with threaded hex
standoffs and to hold the thin steel
cover over all of the electronics. At
Dragon*Con Robot Battles, the steel
cover was hit directly, taking a large
chunk of material out of the armor
and severely bending the side of the
frame. During a post tournament
repair, I determined that none of
the Nutstrip on that side of the
chassis sustained any damage and
the only repairs needed were to the
bent chassis member.
In addition to that, I’ve run my
12 lb combat bot through a robot
hockey competition and the 12 lb
class at Dragon*Con with no
discernable wear or damage to any
of the Nutstrip.
The positive results in testing
have given me the confidence to
begin work on that Sportsman class
robot using the large Nutstrip as the
main means of assembling the
chassis. With the durability shown
by the mini and
medium Nutstrip, I
am confident that
the large version
will be capable of
handling the extra
energy present in
the 30 lb class.
By using
Nutstrip in this
build, I’m saving a
great deal of time
both in initial
fabrication and
repairs, as well as a great deal of
money due to ease of fabrication
and the reduced need for spare
parts because both sides of the
chassis can be assembled with
identical hardware. SV
My new 30 lb robot
uses Nutstrip
wherever possible
to keep costs,
repair time, and
assembly
time down.
MAN UFACTUR IN G:
Designing for Waterjet
When designing a robot, often the focus is on the weapon
system or how much power you can
cram into the drive system. Taking
the time early on to think about how
you’ll make the chassis can heavily
influence the design and be used to
save money or time during a build.
In addition to the traditional
machining processes of milling, turning,
and drilling, there are processes that
are considered non-traditional. These
processes include waterjet, laser, and
electrical discharge machining (EDM).
● by Mike Jeffries
Each process has positives and
negatives that must be considered,
but when used correctly they can
open up a wider range of design
potential. While laser and EDM are
both useful machining methods, the
wide range of materials that can be
cut using waterjet machining makes
it a great option for experimenting
with non-traditional processes.
Waterjet machining uses a very
thin, high pressure jet of water, often
with an abrasive material added to aid
in cutting. This method of cutting means
it is able to be used on a wide range
of materials and thicknesses.
Cutting with a fine jet of water also
means that a small amount of
material needs to be removed to cut
the part to shape, reducing the
machining time. Waterjet machining
is a cold process so it eliminates the
risk of heat-based part deformation.
SERVO 12.2011 31
