Sourcing Guides

Buy smarter, build faster.

Practical guides on choosing and sourcing components for robots, STEM kits and server racks.

How to Choose the Right Mecanum Wheel Size and Bore

Omnidirectional drive explained: wheel diameter vs. payload, bore sizes (12mm hex and friends), roller material trade-offs, and why 100mm is the sweet spot for education robots.

Read · Sep 2026 Rack Hardware · Fasteners

Cage Nuts vs Clip Nuts: What to Use and When

Threaded vs. clip cage nuts, M6 vs. M5, steel vs. zinc — and why a 50-piece kit is the consumable your maintenance team will thank you for.

Read · Sep 2026 Power · Cables

C19 vs C13 Power Cords: Which One Does Your Rack Need?

16A vs 10A, when PDU equipment requires C19, and how to spec the right plug standard (US/EU/UK) plus certification requirements for export.

Read · Oct 2026 Robotics · Servos

Servo Torque 101: Picking the Right Servo for Your Robot Joint

kg·cm vs kg·cm at voltage, gear material, digital vs analogue, and when waterproof matters. A short math-based guide for robot builders.

Read · Oct 2026 Applications · AGV

AGV Mecanum Drive: How to Build a 4WD Omnidirectional Platform

From wheel selection to motor coupling to control: an engineer-to-engineer guide to building a 4WD mecanum AGV that moves in any direction.

Read · Sep 2026 Applications · Rack Ops

Server Rack Cable Management: A Practical Guide for Ops Teams

Horizontal vs vertical management, 1U racks, cage nuts, and the dressing workflow that keeps airflow and maintenance sane.

Read · Oct 2026