| Track Failure Today, I was testing the robot in an extremely rugged environment where I was running small trees over and there was a catastrophic track failure. On track section, about 6 cleats fell off! When designing, I never would've predicted that this is where there would be a failure. The problem is that the plastic attachments aren't mechanically fastened to the chain, but rather a press fit and this is where the problems occurred. The forces exerted on the tracks were too much for them to handle so they popped off. Now I am completely rethinking my track design. I have looked into getting a commercial made rubber track used for skid-loaders and other similar equipment. Although this is a very expensive route, it will ensure reliability and operation will be much smoother. I have contacted multiple companies tracks specialists to see if they could fabricate a custom track that is 4" wide and 100" long. |