How to properly design a chasis
Hi engineers, I'm currently studying how to properly design chassis for a robotic platform. (see for example https://youtu.be/M0fL5Q6rGws?t=22)
I'm well aware that the answer could be long as a whole book. I'm asking you to understand my goals and point me to the right direction. (continues in last paragraph)
I'm wondering how it looks like inside and especially the frame. I know that there a lots of ways how it may look like depends on the manufacturer.
Let's take for example a similar chassis(frame) from the video with gears, motors, gearboxes, control units and everything and with dimension 1000x600x300mm.
I wonder how to build such a thing but let's see this in more the sense of a professional way.
To narrow it down let's say I'm not interested in welding, monocoque (structural skin), metal casting and so on. It should be easy to manufacture and affordable.
There are a vast of variety of aluminium profiles (X,S,L,U, etc.). They are easy to work with, lightweight, easy to join with screws etc. But I guess they are not that robust when you want to put some load(with heavy stuff like 250kg) on the frame builded from those profiles.
There are also other options like solid profile (aluminium) where I can create mounting holes and connect them together with screws. Is this better than previous options? I have a feeling, not so much but correct me.
But one can used other materials like dural, stainless etc.
And here comes the question. Is there a general approach how to design such a chassis? With respect the costs of manufacturing and everything I mentioned in previous text. I also realize that there are many requirements that must be established before starting creating a design but still.
I'm well aware that the answer could be long as a whole book. I'm asking you to understand my goals and point me to the right direction. Is there a good book, website, course or any resources that you would recommend? I will also appriciate small hints here and there regarding what I wrote. I know this is a complex topic.
Accepted answer
The chassis will design itself. That's right! It will design itself!
...but only after you define enough of the specifications and constraints. You're off to a good start, I see several already in your text, easy to manufacture (for whom?), affordable (to whom?), you mention loads, you mention manufacturing methods you wish to steer away from, etc.
These types of things, along with the parts and subsystems you know you'll be using (servo x, pulley y, control board z, etc) will start to paint a picture of the possibilities for the chassis. This picture might even cause you to re-think some of the items you thought you wanted (or didn't want) originally. This is ok, and part of the process.
Once you have enough "specification" detail and "BOM" detail, and have thought through and agreed upon the trade-offs, most designs, not just chassis, really do make themselves apparent. It happens time and time again.
But first and foremost, you need a clear idea of "what do we need it to do", only then can you answer "how do we make it do that".
