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FIRST Robotics Competition
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Wednesday, 14 October 2009 12:46 |
Bandsaw
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A bandsaw is a motorized saw which uses a continuous sawblade moving in a circular path to cut. Typically powered by electric motor. On a horizontal bandsaw, the piece is fixed in a vice and the blade moves down, using gravity to cut. On a vertical bandsaw, the saw is fixed and the piece is pushed towards the blade. Team 254 uses a horizontal bandsaw to cut metal stock and uses a vertical bandsaw to take rough cuts on all sorts of materials. |
Drillpress
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A drillpress is a fixed drill mounted on a stand. The piece is placed on a table, and a lever is actuated, causing the drill spindle to move downward towards the piece, drilling into the piece. |
Mill
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A milling machine is a machine used for the manufacture. A tool is held in a spindle which can move up and down along the Z axis. The piece is typically mounted in a vice, but can be held to the table in many ways. The table can be moved along the X, Y or Z axis by rotating handles. In opposition to other types of machinery such as bandsaws and drillpresses, milling machines allow for very precise work. Team 254's manual mills are precise up to about 1/1000 of an inch. |
Lathe
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A metalworking lathe is a machine tool which spins a block of material to allow for various operations upon the block. Cutting ools are placed in a tool holder which can move in the X and Z direction. Many lathes also feature a tailstock, which can be used to drill holes concentric to the piece, or to support the end of a long piece. |
CNC
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"Computer Numerical Control" refers to a class of machinery that can be controlled by computer "G-Code". It allows for faster and more precise operations than a manual machine, as well as allowing more advanced and complicated cuts. Many different types of machines can be controlled by CNC technology. Team 254 has one CNC Milling Machine, which is very useful for fast and precise cutting. |
Waterjet Cutter
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A waterjet cutter is useful for cutting virtually any material. It cuts using a high pressure water stream mixed with an abrasive. Waterjet cutters typically feature CNC control, and consist of a head that moves over the work piece along the X and Y axes. Sometimes the head can tilt, allowing for more advanced cuts. Although team 254 does not own a waterjet machine, we often have sponsors who will waterjet parts for us. In robot construction, waterjet technology is most useful for cutting plates. |
Laser Cutter
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A laser cutter features a laser that can cut many materials. It is often used for cutting sheet metal. Laser cutting on aluminum is approximately 3x slower than waterjet cutting. Laser cutting can perform extremely precise cuts.
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Shear
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A shear is a tool used to cut. It is often used in robotics to cut sheet metal and plastic. Team 254 owns a foot powered shear in which a foot lever activates a break which holds the workpiece, followed by a blade that comes down to cut the piece. |
Brake
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A brake is a sheet metal tool used for creating bends in sheet metal or plastic. It features a press that presses the piece down into a groove. Team 254 has a hand break in which a lever is actuated by hand to cause the press to press the piece into the groove. After the lever is actuated, another lever is actuated to cause the piece to bend to the desired angle. |
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