so you would take a air tank hook it up through tubing ect but on the end you have a motor that some how sucks in air and you could make it air tight with Plexi glass
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By motor, do you mean a pneumatic cylinder? If so, making the system airtight by would prevent it from working because it operates on airflow.
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I belive @winterKensi is takling about using the motor as a pump to refill the pneumatic resivoir (pardon my spelling).
This idea is cool, but I don’t think it would work with in-match with aggressive defense. (Also, PexiGlass is not legal. You probably already know this, but you can only use non-shattering plastics like Delrin or Lexan.)
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Oh, like a vacuum? That would be very cool! (If vex would remove the limit 
)
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Yes, not plexiglass. Sorry, I often get confused as my mind defaults it to plexiglass.
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Do you mean R15 in the game manual, or am I missing something else?
If it’s only R15, nothing would stop you from replicating an air pump with VEX parts (aside from the fact that it would be quite impractical for anything other than the notebook).
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But it is the theoretical possibilities it could provide. A completely “air-powered bot” with powerful machines that use a lot of air, ect.
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The balls could simply be thal ball bearing the tubing, which would be the tubes, obviously. and the air. supply would be the air outside the robot
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You have shown here an AOD (Air operated diaphram) pump. It is used for pumping a liquid (shown in blue) as the center section oscilates back and forth via compressed air and some controlling pistons.
I appreciate the curiosity, but I don’t think you are going to find what you are looking for down this particular route.
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Can’t you just 3D print a advertisement and then descice a vex iq pneumatics pump within the advertisement?
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Why does vex does what they does about the rule?
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@winterKensi I’m putting this disclaimer at the top of the post (and mentioning you here to get your attention because this is an important warning: Before building any system like the one you are imagining, consider the fact that this is DANGEROUS and doing it for fun or for a competition might not be worth the risk due to the chance of explosion.
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This would require a pump that can handle a lot of pressure (to keep up with air usage). This makes leak-proofing a bigger issue than it already is. While you could use a chamber made of vex-legal plastic, with a steel frame around it, it would be highly dangerous if the contraption explodes (picture shrapnel flying everywhere).
If you do end up following through with a plan involving such risks, try to make a box of metal around it (but with a bit of distance from the plastic itself) to catch the shrapnel. Do make sure to offset the metal sheets you use for the box to make sure no shrapnel could escape through the holes (the metal plates sold by vex have those holes for axles and screws).
There would also be the fact that most pumps would require an internal airtight seal, like the seal between the “piston arm” and “body” of bike pumps. The latex tubing on the vex website should work for that. (Latex Tubing (10') - VEX Robotics)
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The red box under <R23> makes it pretty clear that this is illegal. However, nothing (except your own sense of self-preservation) is stopping you from trying to safely make an air pump outside of competition
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Make a crank and slider from a gear and piece of steel bar. Attach slider to a pneumatic piston. Run tubing to solenoid valve, (switching valve). Disable any check valves inside switching valve. Program switching valve to work in time with the motor to intake air on the piston return stroke and deliver to the tank when it extends. Enjoy your free pressurized air.
I am joking, and even if something like this would work, it would take quite a while to refill even one cylinder.
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Any type of pressure containing device would be illegal and dangerous. Especially dangerous if made from 0.070" plastic. The idea itself is not that crazy. I calculate that a 200 mL reservoir at 100 psi has 138 Joules of energy in the compressed gas. An 11-Watt motor can provide this energy in about 12 seconds.
Air compressors are not very efficient, especially one built from random VEX parts. The pneumatic piston is about the only device that might potentially work. You would need a crank (Gear) and a connecting link to move the piston back and forth.
I bet a check valve could be made from a stack of laser cut plastic sheets screwed together and pieces of #64 rubber bands, but this would be illegal.
Figure out how to make check valves from just tubing and you will be well on the way to having unlimited free air as you watch the competition from the sidelines because you will not pass a real inspection.
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I wish VEX came out with a one way attachment to make your idea work
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I mean it could work but it isn’t worth it considering how much would it weigh
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@sixtonpotato What do you mean too heavy?
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@24523B All those slider mechanisms and pistons/cylinders used in the “pump” will be pretty large and heavy, and you’re also sacrificing a motor in the process.
And to respond to the original topic, why?
While building a vex-legal pump is (barely) possible, there’s no competitive advantage. Two full reservoirs is definitely enough to last a match unless you have a major leak, in which case having an air pump is definitely not the most efficient solution.
sidenote
(okay i get that this might be a joke but i couldnt resist pointing out the flaws sorry)
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Exactly what @pmkv said. You would probably win the innovate award every tournament but the amount of time designing and tweaking this would take is insane.
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