The CAD design is only half the work. The other half is understanding how to turn that into a physical part, test it, and improve it based on what broke or didn't work as expected.
ManufacturingLink to this section
Cutting, drilling, and 3D printing are the most common processes in an FTC team's shop, each suited to a different type of part and material. Choosing the right process — and the right material for that part's function — is just as important as the design itself.
- Learn about cutting and drilling processes.
- Understand applications of 3D printing.
- Choose materials according to the part's function.
PrototypingLink to this section
A quick prototype, even if made from a simpler material, is useful for testing a mechanism before investing time in the final version. It's normal — and expected — for the first prototype to reveal problems that CAD alone didn't show.
- Build prototypes quickly.
- Test mechanisms before the final version.
- Identify problems and make adjustments.
OptimizationLink to this section
Once a mechanism works, the engineering work continues: reducing weight and space, improving speed and efficiency, increasing reliability. Optimization is an iterative process — each version of the robot should be born from the problems found in the previous version, not from scratch.
- Reduce weight and space.
- Improve speed and efficiency.
- Increase reliability.
- Iterate the design based on testing.