MiniTec profile system creates golf test robot
The engineers at Zen Putting Mechanics have been helping Today’s Golfer magazine to test 46 putter designs from several top manufacturers with specific parameters to determine the best buys. For one of the tests, the British golf innovator has developed a putting robot with Sheffield University’s AMRC – Boeing research centre that evaluates a putter’s ability to forgive off-centre strokes.
After successfully using MiniTec UK’s Profile System for the adjustable frame on its unique ‘Green Stage’ variable contour putting platform, they once again specified the modular and adaptable aluminium profile based machine building system to provide a stable frame for the putting robot.
The MiniTec frame supports the rotating mechanism that grips the putter and is adjusted to simulate a straight swing, guiding the golf ball on a flat level surface. Two putts of around 20-feet were recorded. The first putt was set up to strike the ball centrally on the sweet spot of the putter but the second shot adjusted by a quarter ball into the toe – an apparently common and realistic off-centre mishit. The results – distance shortfall, out-of-line offset – reveal the forgiveness factor after some number crunching. For aficionados of the game, the mallets performed better – but the adjudicators of the test did qualify that whilst every effort was made to ensure accuracy, more precise results would be obtained by longer term testing.
Whilst the application for the putting robot is very simple for the numerous capabilities of MiniTec’s Profile System, Zen Putting Mechanics’s chose the Basingstoke based manufacturer based upon its experience with supply logistics and service for its incredibly successful Green Stage artificial putting platform.
Green Stage is now widely exported from Zen’s Sheffield base and with MiniTec’s world-wide manufacturing, sales and distribution facilities, Zen are able to obtain the aluminium profile from local sources in-or-near the customer’s export country – cut to size and with all the interconnection components supplied as a complete kit – simplifying supply and saving on costly shipping.
MiniTec’s modular aluminium profile based machine building system includes thousands of components such as links, hinges, handles, locks, feet, wheels, panels and more – as well as control system and motion components for electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic automation.
Customers can design their own systems and structures using MiniTec’s free of charge iCAD design software which is available for standalone design development as an on-line tool or as downloadable versions that may be integrated with the customer’s preferred software system through interfaces with all common CAD packages including Mechanical Desktop, ProEngineer, Solid Works, Solid-Edge, MegaCAD and more. MiniTec can provide separate components for customer assembly, build to customer requirements in-house or on-site.
