SFR12 Beginning to Take Shape

As the winter months end and the days begin to get longer it can only mean one thing: the run-up to the FSUK competition has begun!

All subteams are now adding the finishing touches to our CAD files, optimising structural components with computer software, ready for manufacturing. To optimise we use Finite Element Analysis (FEA) techniques, which allow designers to see which areas are stressed and which aren’t. By reinforcing stressed areas and removing mass from unstressed areas we can reduce the weight of the component, and improve its structural efficiency.

For manufacture it is crucial to produce technical drawings, or as they’re known in Hollywood “blueprints.” These drawings are used to make the part: if done by hand then the dimensions are used during manufacture (e.g. ‘turning’ on a lathe); if a computer is used to make it, then they are used for validation after the part is made (e.g. using a CNC mill). It includes details such as lengths, radii, diameters, angles, the material (and its grade), any post-processing treatments and images of what the finished product should look like.

As we begin to make parts, all eyes are focused on the SFR-first monocoque chassis. Our moulds are ready to be shaped, using a CNC milling machine. We will then begin to lay sheets of pre-preg carbon fibre into the moulds to get our shape, as well as incorporate a protective, impact-absorbing ‘sandwich layer’ into it. Once preparation is complete, we place it into an autoclave (a big engineering oven), where the resin cures and hardens, creating a solid structure.

With the SFR manufacturing gears prepped and ready to turn, watch this space!