Vendors & Sourcing
Knowing where to buy things quickly is as important as knowing what to buy. FRC build season moves fast and ordering from the wrong vendor can mean a week-long delay on a part you needed yesterday. This page covers the main vendors the team uses, what each one is best for, and a few sourcing habits that will save you time.
Primary Vendors
wcproducts.com. First stop for almost everything mechanical.
WCP (West Coast Products) is the primary vendor for the team's core mechanical ecosystem. They manufacture and sell the Kraken motors and are the main source for swerve modules, pre-drilled tube, gussets, belts, sprockets, and a wide range of structural and motion components. Most of what goes on a competitive FRC robot can be sourced here.
What we buy from WCP:
Kraken X60 (drive motors) and Kraken X44 (steer motors)
SDS MK5i swerve modules
WCP punched 2x1 tube (0.5" pitch, #10 clearance holes)
HTD 5mm belts (all sizes)
Steel sprockets (#25 and #35)
Gussets (90 degree, sharp corner)
Tube plugs
ThunderHex shaft stock
Bearings (round and hex bore)
Hardware (10-32 and 1/4-20 socket heads, lock nuts)
WCP also sells the Greyt Elevator system and a range of other mechanism-level COTS assemblies worth knowing about.
revrobotics.com. Source for MAXPlanetary gearboxes and PDH.
REV is the team's second most-used vendor. The MAXPlanetary is the only gearbox system used on the team, and REV is where you get cartridges, input stages, and output adapters. REV also makes the Power Distribution Hub (PDH), which is the current standard for FRC power distribution.
What we buy from REV:
MAXPlanetary cartridges (3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 9:1)
MAXPlanetary base kits and input stages
Power Distribution Hub (PDH)
Through Bore Encoder (for non-Kraken shafts)
Flex wheels and compliant wheels (for intakes and rollers)
Limit switches and beam break sensors
REV also makes the NEO and NEO Vortex motors with SPARK MAX/Flex controllers for teams on that ecosystem. The team uses Krakens for primary mechanisms, but REV sensors and gearboxes are used throughout.
store.ctr-electronics.com. Source for Phoenix 6 ecosystem electronics.
CTR Electronics (CTRE) makes the TalonFX motor controller that is integrated into every Kraken motor, as well as the CANcoder and Pigeon 2.0. You generally don't order Krakens from CTRE directly (WCP sells them), but CTRE is the place for standalone electronics in the Phoenix 6 ecosystem.
What we buy from CTRE:
CANcoder (absolute encoder for mechanisms)
Pigeon 2.0 (IMU/gyro for swerve odometry)
CANivore (USB-to-CAN adapter for additional CAN buses)
All CTRE devices run on Phoenix 6. If you're configuring or troubleshooting any of these devices, the Phoenix 6 documentation at v6.docs.ctr-electronics.com and Tuner X are your primary tools.
andymark.com. Source for wheels, compliant parts, and game-specific items.
AndyMark is less central to the team's ecosystem than WCP or REV but has some categories that are hard to source elsewhere. They make a wide range of wheels, compliant rollers, and other mechanism components that fill gaps in the WCP/REV catalogs.
What we buy from AndyMark:
Compliant wheels and stealth wheels
Grip tape for intake rollers
Colson wheels (for swerve drive if not using WCP molded wheels)
Game-specific COTS items (game piece replicas for practice, field elements)
Polycarbonate sheets (when not ordering from a plastics supplier)
thethriftybot.com. Budget-friendly source for COTS mechanism components.
ThriftyBot is run by a single FRC alum and is popular for offering functional alternatives to more expensive COTS components. They're especially known for their hex bore bearings, shaft collars, and various brackets at lower price points than WCP equivalents.
What we buy from ThriftyBot:
Hex bore bearings (TTB style)
Shaft collars
Miscellaneous brackets and spacers when cost is a factor
ThriftyBot also sells metal inserts for 3D printed parts (hex inserts for pulleys and hubs), which are used on nearly every robot.
Manufacturing and Custom Parts
Fabworks (fabworks.com)
Laser cut aluminum and steel plates
FRC-focused, faster lead times than SendCutSend, DXF files exported directly from Onshape. Sponsor of FRCDesign.org.
SendCutSend (sendcutsend.com)
Laser cut plates, alternative to Fabworks
Slightly lower cost on some materials, similar quality. Team has used both.
Sponsor/parent CNC
CNC milled custom parts
Complex 3D geometry that can't be laser cut. Coordinate with mentors well in advance since capacity is limited.
3D printers (in-house)
Pulleys, brackets, housings, guides
See the 3D Printing page for settings and materials.
Hardware and Raw Materials
McMaster-Carr (mcmaster.com)
Fasteners in bulk, raw aluminum stock, shaft stock, springs, bearings, and general industrial hardware. The local warehouse is close enough to pick up in about 30 minutes, which makes it the fastest way to get standard hardware when you need it same-day. Not FRC-specific, so it won't have things like swerve modules or motors.
Home Depot / hardware store
True last resort for standard bolt sizes. Less selection than McMaster and usually more expensive per unit.
All orders go through Mr. Wippler and are processed through purchase orders. This means there is real lead time between "we need this part" and "the order is actually placed," especially during build season when everyone is busy. Parts can go out of stock during that gap. Submit your order requests early, consolidate them into batches, and don't wait until you're out of something to ask for more.
Ordering Habits
Order at kickoff, not when you run out. Lead times on WCP and REV stretch significantly in January and February when every team is ordering simultaneously. If you know you'll need belts, cartridges, or sensors, put them on the list at kickoff. The purchase order process adds extra time on top of vendor lead times.
Batch everything into one order per vendor. Shipping costs add up and each order requires Mr. Wippler to process a PO. Consolidate requests into one list per vendor rather than asking for individual parts across multiple days.
Check stock before designing around a part. WCP and REV go out of stock on popular items mid-season. Before committing a design to a specific COTS component, verify it's actually available and shippable before you build around it.
Keep a running order list. Maintain a shared doc or spreadsheet where anyone on the team can add parts they need. Review it weekly and submit one consolidated request to Mr. Wippler rather than asking piecemeal. This is the single habit that prevents the most delays.
CTRE electronics (Krakens, CANcoders, Pigeon) are expensive and have limited availability. Do not order these at the last minute assuming they'll be in stock. Krakens in particular sell out early in the season.
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