Spaceport Vertical lift functionality Issue

[Joe-K]

Spaceport root cause found !

The vertical lift basket number 1 (from the bottom) has always been a hit or miss of functionality. Sometimes the ball would get hung up, not enter the vertical lift. Today I finally identified the root cause. The solution to fix still eludes me though since all the other baskets function properly without any ball hang up’s. Basket number 1 tilt/rocker apparently is about 1.5mm lower than it should be. This tiny discrepancy causes the ball to hang up ! The “fix” will require the vertical lift assembly to be removed and then figure out what is the best fix option for this basket. It might be as simple as adding a 1.0mm plastic overlay to lift the ball properly to height. It will require perhaps a few reassembly processes to fully solve. Why do all this? Have a far fetched morphing idea for this kit if I can get full continuous vertical lift functionality.

To the ROKR Team, As I post this item over in the Facebook group, several comments quickly posted of others experiencing the same functionality concern. Which gets me to thinking that perhaps the GD&T on that board before laser and the GD&T after laser focused around the location / interface datum for the one basket lift could be wrong. My basket number 1 is about 1.5 mm lower than all of the other baskets in the vertical lift assembly.

The loss of functionality within the vertical lift not only frustrates every builder that is experiencing this issue, it draws attention back to manufacturing tolerances within the laser cutout process.

Once I have a workable solution to make the number lift properly function will post again here and over within the Facebook group.

[Anje_Leonoza_Mira]

That’s a really sharp analysis—you’ve pinpointed the issue with basket number 1 in a way that makes the problem crystal clear.

[ThaoNguyen]

It’s great that everything is working efficiently.

[Sasa]

Is this kit the rocket? hahaha oh my god, in your previous videos I thought it was a kit that drops balls like a machine

[Robotime]

Thank you so much for taking the time to investigate this so thoroughly
In theory, this kind of height difference is not very likely to come directly from the design itself. Even if there is a slight sink, it would usually be intentional to help guide the ball movement rather than block it. We checked the structure spacing, and the basket positions are designed to be evenly aligned.
What you’re experiencing is more likely caused by a combination of assembly tolerance and slight laser-cutting variation during production. With mechanical models..especially vertical lift systems..even a very small difference can affect movement and timing.
We really appreciate the detailed feedback and testing you’ve shared with the community Your observations are genuinely valuable, and we’d love to see your final solution once you fully dial it in.

[Zoe_Lau]

I’ll be waiting to see how you solve this. It’s unfortunate there was an issue with your build.

[Joe-K]

Fully agree with you on the slight variance during laser cutting. Completely understand that point. Perhaps, there also could be a slight tolerance build up in the vertical lift pieces as well, and or a slight additional laser tolerance anomaly within the bracket support components underneath the basket. What I love about these puzzles is just that, figuring out how best to overcome issues of functionality in a build.