There are several parts on the voind robot made from aluminum sheet, most notably the cable supports which route the cables and keep them out of the way of moving parts.
Although their basic shape and position were defined early in the design, only after initial assembly we were able to determine their correct dimensions and integrate them with the other parts.
We started by creating a cardboard mockup of the part.
This allowed us to check if it would support the cables effectively and the clearances we’d have for driving the screws during assembly and disassembly.
Once we were satisfied with the cardboard mockup we traced the part over 1.5mm aluminum sheet.
Using a Dremel cutting wheel we then cut the part out of the aluminum sheet.
Bending was done manually using a vice and steel guides.
Final tests guided us on tracing the locations of additional features like holes for screws and cables ties.
Finally the part sitting happily in the overall scheme of things and doing exactly what it was designed for.