What other ways could I save weight? I could do smaller batteries and a pipe line buffer tank but most of the design needs protecting quite heavily and I don't think I could do full 3mm Hardox
I could make a new flipper blade since it's 2nm steel box tubing and a 5mm steel plate on that, but if i was to make that out of titanium, would 3mm be enough if I can afford it?
Drilling Holes in all the box section
how large is the 5mm plate? If it covers the whole flipper arm then cut it down so that it's just the tip that has the thicker material (for around an inch or so). Use plastic on the rest of the arm.
the plate covers the whole arm. the previous owner put it on since the arm bent after trying to self right on its side firing the flipper about 15 times
but drilling hols in the box tubing on the underside could work.
or... would it be worth grinding off all the box tubing and leave some at the base and tip of the arm for re-enforcment since the plate is 5mm steel?
swap the 5mm steel for 5mm aluminium. Will weigh a third of the weight, won't cost the earth and should be strong enough along with the box section to stop bending as long as it's a good grade. There are a number of feathers that I've seen that just use a length of thick box section for the flipper arm. If you really want to go down the titanium route then 3mm will be thick enough however finding it will be a pain. I hunted ebay for weeks before finding some that was suitable for my purpose.
i had better get the ginder out then as i want an ok bot to take to the 2012 champs as on other one has 4mm steel and 8mm hdpe
What is better armour, 15mm hdpe, 2.5mm hardox/steel, 5mm aluminium in full combat?
In feathers , only the better crushers can penetrate 15mm HDPE.
2,5mm Hardox doesn't exist, unless you mill 0.7mm off from the thinnest commercialy available sheet.
5mm ali, depening on grade goes from Ok to cardboard would have been better.
Sorry meant 3.2mm hardox
From personal experience, I would go for the 15mm HDPE. That's not to say that the metals won't be a good form of armour, but if your 3.2mm hardox gets hit and bent out of shape so much that it is impairing the operation of your robot, you're going to have a helluva time trying to bend it back into the right shape with the tools and facilities you have available at a typical full-combat event (i.e. a table and whatever tools you brought).
The HDPE, on the other hand, will mostly likely have a big gash in it from the impact, but will either flex and return to its original shape once the energy in the hit is dissipated, or be ripped off/shredded. In that instance, you can either heat up the HDPE to close up the gash/shredded bits, or cut a new piece of HDPE to replace the old bit. And since HDPE can be cut with a standard wood saw, you can manage that relatively easily at an event.
That's just my personal preference, but plastics - and HDPE in particular - have got a good reputation when it comes to full combat armour.
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