Bulk Storage VEX IQ

VEX IQ General Discussion General Discussion
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Anyone doing bulk storage for VEX IQ parts? Suggestions? Bins? We have superkits with gear kits and competition add on kits for about 40 kits and it all the parts barely kit into a VEX IQ storage box and the students are ending up with a load of parts in the bottom of the boxes and having to sift through the box… I’m thinking bulk so when they design (hopefully using the new snap cad) they will have a parts list and go get what they need from bulk and not have a box full of parts they are not using…

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We’ll be purchasing a few of these units over the summer to organize our parts –> https://www.akro-mils.com/Products/Types/Cabinets-Racks-Shelving-Panels/Racks. As of now we have them in loosely categorized bulk bins (1x beams, 2x beams, 4x plates, pins, connectors, gears/sprockets/pulleys, etc.). I imagine we’ll still keep our bulk bins are use them for overflow from the rail racks, and when rail rack bins get low restock them from the bulk bins.

During meetings we use cafeteria trays and muffin tins to keep parts corralled. The general equipment management rules are [LIST=1]

  • only take out parts you need/don't hoard parts
  • keep loose parts on tray and tins/no loose parts on the tables and floor
  • sort out leftover loose parts and put them away at the end of meeting [/LIST] Each team gets IQ plastic storage box for their in progress mechanisms and designs. Every once in awhile the kids get lazy and use their team buckets to store loose pieces that they didn't want to put away. If I notice too many messy boxes I find the kids with organized boxes and give them a starburst, which usually inspires the others to put their parts away :)

    Robots get put on a shelf in a cabinet for now, but I don’t like that solution as it’s not convenient for transportation. I’ve been scouring local stores looking for plastic storage bins that will nicely fit competition sized robots, but 13" x 20" x 15" is not a popular size. Everything that I’ve found thus far is either super oversized, or just barely undersized (the dimensions are good at the top but the tapered sides ruin in), or isn’t quite tall enough (which would mean we couldn’t stack the boxes and that won’t do).

    • 3

    Do the parts stay in one place, or do they go home with the kids or travel to competitions?

    This is how one school with 25 kits kept them organized:

    We don’t have a permanent home for the parts at our school. So we cart around 2 or 3 bins per team, plus fields. Most teams just use the bins that come with the kits, but some teams use those plastic organizers that you can get at Home Depot. Either way, it is nice to give everyone a turn at taking the robot and parts home.

    4

    We have been using the Vex boxes that the kits come in to transport our robots. Nothing else seems to fit right. The robots do stick out of the top of the box, which means that when stacking boxes, the robot box is always at the top of the stack.

    5

    I have 8 travel teams that we are trying to figure out team boxes for… one that fits robot and tournament supplies…anyone?

    … I also need a storage solution that works for classroom builds/ instruction for 40 kits that will stay in the robotics room… I like the bulk bins that can be wall mounted.(our floor space is at a premium) … this might be a solution for us in the classroom… most builds in the room can be placed in the IQ boxes and we might stick with that since they stack well