by Steve » Thu May 19, 2016 2:02 pm
I'm a little skeptical. The article says that the mass produced model's gearbox uses "moulded parts". That screams "plastic" to me. Molded thermoplastic is almost guaranteed to end up being a terrible choice for a mechbox. Also, if you look closely at the mechbox, you see square corners all over it. Square corners concentrate stress. My prediction is that users will see cascading failures. The metal screws will start to back out slightly from the mechbox, or vibration will enlarge the holes they ride in, because plastic. That'll generate torsional imbalances in the mechbox. Which will lead to shims / bearings start to drag. Which will generate friction, which turns into heat. Which softens the plastic, allowing more movement, and screwing up the engagement of the gears. So, my prediction is that if the gearbox doesn't just crack, because plastic, either the gears will shred or the gearbox will melt.
Also, It uses proprietary magazines. Which is craptastic.
Not sure where the battery lives. None of the pictures show wiring. I'm guessing it's under the handguard, which means that if you upgrade to a RIS/RAS, you're running batteries out of a PEQ box.
Not to be a tool: Architects design buildings. Engineers have to sign off on the plans before they can be built. There's a different skillset, and you learn to look out for different things.