Business
The Business team is in charge of running our team as if it's a business. They are in charge of all kinds of media, marketing, keeping attendance for students and mentors, and even managing our website. Our business team helps us get sponsors and keep in touch with them. In order to win some specific awards at competitions, our business team must write submissions and talk with judges at competitions. So far they have helped the team win several awards at competitions. They also work on making and improving a scouting app that analyzes other robots and teams to make it easier to pick other robots to form an alliance with.
Mentor(s): Kim Mate, Jason Thorpe
Build
The Build team takes the parts created by the machining and CNC guilds and assembles them to create a base for the robot. They use a combination of standardized parts such as nuts, bolts, and hex shafts along with custom-made parts to accomplish their goals. Also, they carefully use tools such as saws, drills, and wrenches to attach bolts and nuts to the metal or wooden pieces created by the other guilds.
We have a subsection of build called our Electronics team. Our Electronics team works on wiring our 125 pound robot which requires a lot of precision and effort. In order to wire the robot, they need to be able to solder and mend wires. They connect the wires on the robot and set up the motors, sensors, hydraulics, and more.
Mentor(s): Paul DeVries, Randy Ollmann, Francie Clabaugh, Jim Dekker, Bernie Piehl, and Bob Jasper
.jpg)
CAD
The Computer Aided Design (CAD) team uses SolidWorks (CAD software) to create 2D and 3D models of our team’s robot design. Students on this team verify that the robot will properly fit together and meet our weight requirement. The team produces detailed part and assembly drawings for the Build Team to use to manufacture the robot. During 2022 and previous seasons, the CAD team has underwent several CAD Marathons or "CADathons" during the beginning of the build season. During the CADathons, they designed the majority of the robot and completed lots of their goals.
Mentor(s): Dal Brandon
.jpg)
CNC
The CNC team uses the CNC machine and CAM software to make complicated parts in a both accurate and beautiful way. They create the models first in CAD and then send them to the CNC machine to be manufactured. Having our own CNC machine has enabled us to manufacture parts that we used to have to purchase and has greatly increased our productivity.
Mentor(s): Dal Brandon
Machining
The members of the machining guild take designs created by the CAD team and creates custom-made parts to build a functioning robot for the competitive season. They use a variety of powerful machinery to accomplish their challenging tasks. Their tasks are difficult because the team has to work to create a functioning robot within an eight week timeframe.
Mentor(s): Paul DeVries, Randy Ollmann, Francie Clabaugh, Jim Dekker, Bernie Piehl, and Bob Jasper
Programming
Our Programming team works on coding our robot. While lots of other guilds work on the physical robot, the programming team primarily focuses on making the robot move to accomplish missions. They use computer applications to program the buttons that the drivers of the robots use to control the robot. The programming team makes the robot move, tun, raise and lower its arms, collect and shoot objects.
Some of the their accomplishments include moving and turning the robot, raising and lowering its arms, and shooting balls into target for points.
Mentor(s): Dal Brandon, Josh Camarena, Tiebing Zhang
.jpg)
