Students participating in Formula SAE and SAE Aero Design are getting Maplesoft products for free to assess their designs.
The SAE Collegiate Design Series brings university teams together to apply their classroom knowledge to real world design problems. The purpose is to gain the skills, tools and collaborative experience they need to become leaders in the engineering field. Much of these skills focus on learning various CAE tools.
“Our involvement in the SAE Collegiate Design Series is at the heart of why we do what we do at Maplesoft,” said Jim Dell, vice president at Maplesoft. “It is an example of the company’s commitment to engage students in STEM learning and equip them with tools readily used in industry. The competitions bring learning to life, and we are proud to put industry-chosen tools into the hands of the next generation of engineers.”
Maplesoft’s CAE tools that SAE students had access to include:
- Maple for technical computing and programming
- MapleSim for system-level modeling
- MapleSim Connector for MapleSim model exports into Simulink S-function blocks
- Driveline Library, a collection of component and sub-assembly examples.
Luke Holloran from the University of St. Thomas (UST) FSAE commented, "With these tools we would gain factual knowledge of our car and learn how the changes we make mean more than a geometrical change. There is this cool feature in MapleSim that lets us virtually test a car on a track. Using that and the multitude of all the other features associated with MapleSim, I believe that we will be able to create a great car for FSAE."
As these students gain access to Maplesoft’s suite, they are able to learn and use CAE tools used within the industry. As a result, they are not just learning how to simulate a suspension system, optimize their radiator’s heat exchange, or virtually test their system. They are learning how to master these CAE tools and open the door to learn others in the future. As a result, employers looking for an entry level engineer with some work experience should pay considerable attention to a recent graduate that has competed in SAE or similar.
“Maplesoft’s contributions impact the students’ overall success in our competitions — both on and off the track,” noted Kaley Zundel, Formula SAE program manager. “No matter which team scores the most points, at the end of the day every team is exposed to the same valuable experience, and receives the opportunity to participate in a competition that requires more than just engineering knowledge but also skills like project management and team work. In addition, the exposure our students get to industry professionals through sponsors like Maplesoft only adds to the importance of these programs.”
If you are interested in joining an SAE team, some of the projects you can choose from include designing:
- Formula racing cars
- Radio-controlled aircraft
- Snowmobiles
- Single-person vehicles
- Fuel-efficient vehicles
Would you be more likely to hire a recent graduate if they had CAE experience working in a student competition? What CAE tools did you use when competing in a student engineering challenge? Comment below.