Rotating Weapons

[Sam_Gad]

Hi All,

I am contributing to this thread with a few additional questions... I have been referring to the regulations for a new featherweight build. I am looking into a design which incorporates an overhead circular cold saw that uses an off the shelf tungsten carbide tipped (TCT) blade. The idea is to have a mildly effective weapon to multiple materials that can be swapped/ replaced easily.

When referring to the build regulations it is stated in section 12.3 that circular saws are allowed as long as the manufacturers specs are kept to. However in section 12.4 it states that "Commercially manufactured, hardened steel blades that may shatter are not allowed". Most TCT blades are made from a wear resistant steel that is then tempered (heat treatment that increases ductility as well as decreases brittleness). Therefore I would appreciate some clarification if this type of blade is allowed as the process of manufacturing helps prevent shatter issues as seen in past robot designs.

Also I would like to know if this type of weapon is in the spirit of the competition as I would like to use this design at as many featherweight events as is possible once built. Any feedback would be appreciated.