Construction

The construction methods used to build the RC Baja vehicle Are covered on this page. This includes machining, 3D printing, Assembly, wiring, and any programming that needs to be done to complete the project.

Figure C01 - Drawing tree

The motor mount, battery cradle, motor support, and gearbox cover are all printed on a Creality ender 3 3D printer using PLA for first iteration parts.

Figure C02- The first batch of 3d printed parts

The Gearbox cover, front crumple zone, and differential housings were all printed using a 0.3mm nozzle, which is a finer resolution than the 0.4mm used to print the first batch of parts. Infill was set to 20% using a gyroidal infill pattern.

Figure C03 - The second batch of 3d printed parts

The idler shaft, drive shaft, and rear axles were all cut on a circular chop saw. The raw material was a 5 millimeter diameter high speed steel shaft. After shafts were cut to size, a belt grinder was used to deeper any edges and ensure the ends were flat so that bearings and purchase Dr. shafts could be properly fitted.

Figure C04 - Driveshafts & Axles

Figure C05 - Baseplate Manufacturing

The aluminum base plate of the chassis was cut using a multi step process. First, all mounting holes were drilled enter the base plate to allow for the use of the fixture, which had holes in the same pattern to allow the plate to be fixed into a CNC mill. After the fixture and the aluminum plate were fastened together, the outline of the plate was cut using a 1/4 inch endmill.

With final construction of the RC car underway, tolerances for many parts were tested and any interference and motor found on the mounting solutions for the yes see, motor, radio, or battery we're sanded or ground down to ensure proper fitment. Any holes that were smaller than originally anticipated were drilled to size, and bearings were pressed into the appropriate housings.

Figure C06 - Car Assembly

Figure C07 - Baseplate manufacturing (cont.)

The only machining process is used in the construction of this vehicle or drilling out holes, cutting the periphery of the base plate using a CNC milling machine, I'm cutting shafts to length. M3 bolts were used to fasten the motor to the motor mount, double sided tape was used for the ESC and radio mounts, and Velcro is used to hold the battery in all parts are fastened to the base plate using quarter 20 bolts, with holes being tapped as necessary.