The robotics team needed fixture plates to align drivetrain components during assembly. Students worked with their mentor to translate the CAD files into router-ready toolpaths.
Toolpath adjustments
We added a final contour pass to reduce tear-out on the birch. It added eight minutes per plate but improved fit.
Assembly impact
The team reduced drivetrain alignment time from 40 minutes to 30 minutes per bot, freeing students for electronics work.
What we learned
Small changes to toolpaths can have outsized impact on downstream assembly.
