Plate and standoff construction

A favorite among FTC teams, plate and standoff construction uses 2D-cut flat plates spaced apart using standoffs or stacked plastic spacers. It’s intuitive, easy to service, and perfect for custom drivetrains or slide guides.

How It Works

• Two parallel plates form the "walls" of a structure.

• Standoffs, spacers, or bearings are used to connect and align them.

• Motors, shafts, and other hardware are mounted between the plates.

Pros

• Serviceable: Remove screws to open the assembly like a sandwich.

• Strong and Rigid: Parallel plates resist torsion well.

• Easy to Design: Plates can be laid out in 2D and stacked.

Cons

• Space-Hungry: Can get bulky in tight robots.

• Heavy: Metal plates and many screws/standoffs add mass.

• Limited Adjustability: Mounting patterns are fixed after cutting.

FTC Tips

• Use ⅛” aluminum or ⅛”/¼” polycarbonate plates.

• Design mounting holes on a 16mm grid to align with common FTC components.

• Add inspection holes to see bearings and shafts inside.

• Offset holes to match standoff centers—always model screw heads to check clearance.