Regulator boosts robot performance

A high-flow regulator has saved weight and reduced recharge time for an international Robot Wars contestant.

Boiswood has supplied a Kenmac KPR high-flow regulator for an international Robot Wars contestant.

The robot, dubbed M2, was originally designed to be powered by CO2 but in initial tests following its 16-week build programme, the pneumatics used to operate the robot failed to perform to specification due to a small welding regulator freezing up.

At this point it was decided to operate on air rather than CO2 to eliminate the freeze-up problem, even though it reduced the number of flips that the robot could perform from 66 with CO2 to 14 with air.

The original regulator also suffered with a low gas flow rate and unstable pressure control, and although two low-pressure buffer tanks were used the recharge rate was still too slow.

The solution was the higher flow rate Kenmac KPR regulator from Boiswood, which provided the required flow rate and stability.

The improvement also meant that one of the low-pressure buffer tanks could be removed, with a corresponding and always important weight saving.

The M2 is now quite a performer.

It can lift between 300 and 1000kg depending on the position of the load on the flipper and can flip an 18kg car wheel 3m into the air or a 100kg robot 2m through the air! Following a successful 2001 season in the UK, the team is looking forward to a trip to Holland for their first Dutch competition, which will pitch M2 against robots from Germany and Belgium.

Back to top