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Frame

When constructing your frame, you'll need

1) 2x1s for the base (Qty - 4)

2) Bellypan (Qty - 1)

3) Drivetrain Rails (Qty - 1 or 2)

Note

Wall thickness of .100" or thicker = thick wall (good for chassis due to durability and high impact resistance)

Bellypan

  • Has small holes in certain areas known as grommet holes to allow for electrical components to mount, and has holes along the perimeter for mounting onto chassis. All bellypans have a cut extrusion pattern along the surface which saves weight and makes it look nice, which is known as pocketing
      • Laser cut by sponsors
      • Typically 1/16" to 1/4" in thickness
      • Thicker bellypans have smoother driving due to lower center of gravity (CG)

Screenshot 2026-07-09 131905.png

Drivetrain Rails

  • Drivetrain rails are mounting tubes which are integrated into the frame design for structural support and for mounting separate subsystems like shooters, intakes, climbers, etc.

Mounting tubes.png

Design Considerations

  • Place battery first when designing drivetrain as it is the heaviest component, so you can take CG into account (important for deciding how smooth your robot can drive)
  • When designing your drivebase, your main goal should be maximizing CG while maintaining efficient mass to incorporate other subsystems in the future
  • Tungsten sheets are heavy and good for CG, but VERY expensive expesive.png
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