Metal strands fly past as the Jesuit robotics team, working on large metal cutting machines, makes their own parts. Cutting, drilling, and working the various metal machines, the robotics team carefully brings their designs to life. They work at Manda Machines, where they learn about the professional engineering trade and what it takes to make these robot parts.
All year, the various high schools entering into the spring Battle Bots competition have been designing their robots. Initially, they started with crude cardboard models and have since refined the individual parts to digital replicas. Of course, these parts need to be exact, so they are constructed with the proper machines and equipment. However, Jesuit does not have its own factory where the team can cut these parts to its exact specifications.
So, Jesuit uses the professionals over at Manda Machine for help cutting parts for the robots. Manda Machine is a machining facility that specializes in precision work. The Jesuit Robotics team has used them in the past and plans on continuing this partnership in the future. In fact, they plan on sending more groups of those who didn’t get to go next week.
Last Wednesday, November 6th, the Jesuit Robotics team members hopped on a bus and headed to Manda Machine where the newer members could learn about what it takes to make these parts.
Accompanied by some of the team’s veterans and coached by the owners of Manda, the members were able to work the machines and make parts. Zach Bennett ’15 commented that he found the trip particularly awesome because he was able to “see all the CNC machines and learn about the processes that professional engineering companies go through.” He went on to mention that the trip was useful because it helped the team understand what goes into making a part and because “it will help [them] get [their] parts made and consider a future engineering career.”
At one station, the guys cut metal squares which would later be put into a CNC machine, a machine that cuts metal into a design. At another station, they took a bar of metal, cut the size, and drilled a hole for a screw. After hitting every station, everyone got together for pizza and soda.
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fter eating, the pros gathered everyone around and discussed a weapon design that one of the battlebot teams had sent in earlier, bringing it up on a giant computer monitor in an editing program that allowed them to edit the design. The pros pointed out potential flaws and showed them how they fixed these problems. Then, the guys watched as the pros took each of their squares and, one by one, put each square into a CNC machine that turned the squares into a weapon which resembled a sawblade.
Kieran Celii ’15, one of the Battle Bots team leaders and veterans of the team, specifically pointed out this part as “pretty cool and neat,” commenting that in order to do these kinds of things, machinists have to be very smart. Each member was able to take the blades home. So, if I were you, I’d be careful around the robotics guys, as they might still be carrying around those sawblades.
The Robotics team members have been quickly and steadily learning from experiences such as these, and the team shows great promise. Good luck to them as they compete throughout the rest of the year!
