For the third year in a row, 3M Buckley Innovation Center is sponsoring the HARE (Huddersfield Automotive Racing Enterprise) team in the Formula SAE (FSAE) racing competition for 2016.
3M BIC has played an important role in helping the team modify its car design in preparation for the 2016 season.
Many of these optimizations, including a redesign of the car’s air intake, were made possible with digital and practical prototyping using computer-aided design and engineering (CAD/CAE) as well as additive manufacturing technologies.
These modifications will help Team HARE to improve its car’s performance for the competition’s static and dynamic events:
- Static events
o Technical and Safety Scrutineering
o Tilt Test
- Dynamic events
o Sprint
o Acceleration
o Endurance
The cars should be designed for low cost and reliability while maintaining high performance for acceleration, braking and handling.
Fortunately, the speed that CAD/CAE and additive manufacturing bring to the design cycle will go a long way to help the team meet these design requirements in the time left until race day.
Created by the Institution for Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), the FSAE competition aims to help encourage and influence new generations of engineering students.
The contest asks teams from universities around the world to design and build a prototype for a single-seat racing car for autocross or sprint racing. This includes Team HARE, who will soon compete in races across Europe and the UK.
For more information on IMechE and the Formula Student competition, visit the website here.