I talked to my uncle, a successful Civil Engineer, so he's had quite a bit of experience with tracks on loaders, skid steers, etc. He noted that with my diamond plate design, he suspected that I would not get much traction on asphalt and concrete. It would be like an aluminum plate sliding on a hard surface.. low coefficient of friction. So he suggested I add grousers, or protrusions from the cleats surface. With the correct material selected, this should work well for my application. I will probably be mount a 3/8, 1/2" or 5/8" grouser on every other cleat. I am going to perform a compression test for the multiple heights -to get force applied vs deflection. As for the material, I decided with advice from a rubber specialist, I am going to use 60 durometer Neoprene due to its rugged characteristics. It should provide me with the grip I need. I am going to use a rectangular profile 1" wide. and then just drill holes for the head of the screws so they aren't protruding from the grouser. The welder is back from his trip so he said he can help me one or two days this week to get the motor mounts, shock absorber mounts, and the frame complete within the end of the week. I am practically done with the electrical systems. I just have to wire the motors, the motor relays, and the actuators. Here are some pictures to the right. I also have to test the individual systems So if all goes well welding, we should have this driving on or by Christmas break. *More pictures to come. | |