Our machine was finally completed today. We were able to do a lot of testing as well. The machine works exactly like we designed it to. Compared to other teams, our machine might be slightly slower. The tape measure goes down, through, and up the arena slot smoothly. Sometimes it needs assistance from the string to get it going. Once it reaches the other side, the string and tape measure both pull up and form a ramp. This is where we ran into some problems.
Kevlar Thread
The Kevlar Thread was the intended material in our design. It wraps around the string spool nicely and also allows balls through easily. The biggest downfall of the Kevlar Thread is its tendency to snap. This makes the Kevlar Thread the weakest part of our machine.
Fishing Line
In all our testing with the fishing line, it never broke once. However, the Fishing Line is comparatively inflexible and has a very hard time allowing balls to move through it. This also has a disastrous effect on the string spool; it has a tendency to create a mess.
In the end, we decided to go with Kevlar Thread. To remedy the tendency for the string to break, we will apply electrical tape and plastic bits over the sharp metal edges that the thread slides upon. Doing this will dramatically improve the durability of the thread and ensure that thread breakage doesn't occur during competition. The speed of the machine isn't something we can improve upon; the tape dispenser requires a lot of torque to work properly. Sacrificing torque for speed could make our machine useless.
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