Aluminum tube

From Team 449 Wiki

Aluminum tube is a structural material made of aluminum (usually 6061) extruded into a rectangular tube. The thickness of the walls can vary from 1/20" to 1/4". It is the main structural material on our robots. It is held together with bolts or rivets.

Extrusion Profiles

The "profile" of an extruded aluminum tube is its cross-sectional shape. Our two most commonly used extrusion profiles are square/rectangular and round. A given profile is specified by its shape, external dimensions, and wall thickness - for example, a 1"x1"x.125" square tube has external dimensions of 1" by 1", and a wall thickness of .25".

Square/Rectangular Tube

Square/rectangular aluminum tubing is a ubiquitous structural material in FRC. The most commonly used of these profiles are:

  • 2"x1"x.125"
  • 2"x1"x.0625"
  • 1"x1"x.125"
  • 1"x1"x.0625"

The flat sides of rectangular tubing make it an ideal material for bolted or riveted assembly, especially in conjunction with gusset plates.

.0625"-thick tubing is generally used mainly for superstructure, as it generally cannot withstand the types of forces experienced by the drive chassis. Extra care must be taken when through-bolting a .0625" tube assembly, as it is very easy to crush the tubing by over-tightening the bolts.

Round Tube

Round tube is used much less often than rectangular tubing, as its shape is much less amenable to easy assembly.


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