Sheet Thickness

Sheet materials in FRC come in standard thickness increments. These increments strongly affect stiffness, weight, and how parts behave under load. 

 

 Common Sheet Thickness Increments 

 Most sheet materials (aluminum, polycarbonate, plastics) are typically available in: 

 

 1/16" 

 1/8" 

 3/16" 

 1/4" 

 3/8" 

 1/2" 

 

 These standard sizes are what most FRC designs are based on. 

 

 How Thickness Affects Strength 

 1/16" 

 

 Very lightweight 

 Low stiffness 

 Easily flexes under load 

 Best for light covers or non-structural panels 

 

 

 1/8" 

 

 Common general-purpose thickness 

 Balanced stiffness and weight 

 Good for gussets and light structural plates 

 

 

 3/16" 

 

 Noticeably stiffer than 1/8" 

 Better resistance to bending and vibration 

 Heavier, used for more loaded structures 

 

 

 1/4" 

 

 High stiffness and strength 

 Strong resistance to impact and bending 

 Significant weight increase 

 Used for structural or high-load plates 

 

 

 3/8" 

 

 Very rigid 

 Used in rare high-load or specialized applications 

 Often heavier than necessary for most FRC robots 

 

 

 1/2" 

 

 Extremely stiff and strong 

 Minimal flex even under high load 

 Very heavy for robotics use 

 Typically only used for specialty mounts or extreme-load components 

 

 

 Key Strength Idea 

 Thickness has a non-linear effect on stiffness: 

 

 Small increases in thickness produce large increases in rigidity 

 A 1/4" plate is significantly more resistant to bending than a 1/8" plate 

 

 This is why most FRC designs stay at: 

 

 1/8" for light structures 

 3/16" for stronger plates 

 Only going thicker when absolutely necessary 

 

 

 Material Interaction 

 Thickness also depends on material type: 

 

 Aluminum → efficient strength-to-weight 

 Polycarbonate → remains flexible even when thick 

 Plastics → stiffness depends heavily on reinforcement 

 Steel → very strong even at thin sections 

 

 

 Key Idea 

 Sheet thickness increments determine structural behavior more than most other design choices. In FRC, teams minimize thickness whenever possible and only increase it when load or rigidity demands it.