Manufacturing

Introduction

Perhaps the most underappreciated challenge in combat robotics comes from the manufacturing of parts. It can mean the difference between you robot costing $4000 or $400. It can also mean the difference between whether you tank a hit like a champ or end up with your guts strewn across the floor, not dissimilar to myself after full-sending Bottomless Boneless Wings night at Applebee's. In case you haven't already figured this out, getting in a fistfight at the 'bees is an empirically-proven bad way to handle a first date. I suppose we live and we learn.

CNC Milling vs. CNC Routing vs. Laser Cutting

CNC Milling:

Complex, three-dimensional cutting patterns
Almost always prohibitively expensive

CNC Routing:

Basically a tool just for 2D CNC "sheet" cuts
Almost always possible to substitute for laser cutting, depending on the material

Laser Cutting:

Concentrated beam of light energy cuts through materials, specifically metals
Can be more accurate than CNC routing if done right, but can also cause strange issues if the material is too resistant to heat, i.e. thick AR500 steel
This is what SendCutSend uses, so most of your parts will be made using this

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