Hi everyone! We are a brand new V5 team. While watching PUSH BACK match videos, we noticed many teams DIY their own parts (especially those white ones), and they look super useful ! Could anyone share how these parts are designed and made ? Thanks for your help! ![]()
They are made in a CAD software (Onshape, Fusion, Inventor, Solidworks, etc.) and cut (safely!) with a laser cutter. The material is acetal (Delrin).
Where can we learn to design these parts?
Weâre building our first robot and want to use custom parts like those top teams do. ![]()
The builder says itâs polycarbonate 2m04 in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J2D__8QCcs (first hit for 9123x on youtube)
Screenshot of cad at 5m48
Some people in V5RC use polycarbonate as a blanket term for plastics, which is what Harrison is saying here. Itâs definitely Delrin.
Do you say that because it looks laser cut, and laser cutting polycarbonate would emit poisonous fumes?
Here is a link to where you can get some legal sheets. To my knowledge, the black delrin is the only one that you can laser cut.
You donât need a laser cutter or indeed CAD for that part. That shape can be achieved with a sheet of polycarbonate, ruler and protractor, a sharpie, a drill, snips, a heat gun and something to act as a reliable 90 degree corner while you bend it. Where a corner is inside the target shape, drill a hole where the lines meet and cut to end inside the drilled hole. You can see that the edges of the bent up part came from a single cut into the sheet. Creating a replacement part at an event when you donât have a laser cutter and ventilation with you isnât impossible if you design appropriately.
Practice with the snips first. Amazon.co.uk
The plastic in the video is white Delrin. White Delrin can be laser cut given the proper procedures and equipment are used the same can be said with Polycarbonate though that is more dangerous.
Also @u89djt we figure it is Delrin because it isnât transparent like polycarbonate and abs is typically less shiny.
Polycarbonate isnât always transparent, you can buy opaque Polycarbonate in pretty much any color
I meant the black delrin on robosource, not delrin in general, because I donât think robosource sells white delrin.
Fair point, though you will probably seldom see teams use anything but transparent or translucent polycarbonate ![]()
@60_Percent_C_Channel Sorry for not understanding the original comment you are right though some people may call the white acetal copolymer that Robosource sells âdelrinâ and that can also be laser cut.
Ohh okay, thanks for the information.

