MAKING SPARKS, HELD IN SUSPENSE-ION AND MORE!
With easter around the corner, the team are in full manufacturing mode with exclusive access to the Sheffield Hallam Machining facilities. The 4 day sprint to a well earned week of *rest* has seen the team reach milestone after manufacturing milestone, as we once again speed towards Formula Student UK, on the 17th-21st of July! Read on to find out the latest developments...
Adding Some Spark to the Team!
With the engine of the SHU Racing 19 car rebuilt and ready to go, it’s time to start tuning! In order to make some serious power, we need some serious spark and that wouldn’t be happening without our new partner, NGK. With their provision of their high end Iridium R line of spark plugs, NGK will be helping to propel the revamped power unit to new highs!
NGK are the leading supplier of spark plugs to the motorsport industry, supporting anything from Formula 1 to Power Boat Racing and we couldn’t be happier to have them on board! Their outreach to Formula Student teams helps young engineers and their attempts to eek out the greatest possible performance from the equipment at hand. Let's hope they spark SHU Racing to the top end of the competition.
Great IIDEAs lead to wishbone milestone.
Continuing their support for the team, SHU Racing partner IIDEA Ltd. have once again contributed to the car's developments. With the delivery of a set of precisely machined wishbone ends, our Suspension department can begin to assemble the wishbone assemblies, bonding them with the team's unique Carbon Fibre set up.
IIDEA continue to provide expert advice to the team's engineers, providing suggestions on minor modifications which improve the component's manufacturing efficiency. Design for Manufacture (DfM) is often overlooked by young engineers and so any experience in improving this skill is greatly rewarding. IIDEA's engineers have the patience and skill to take our developing team members through the steps to design a highly efficient part.
Our Carbon Fibre wishbone system has been developed from 2018's research, improving the bonding process and utilising 7000 series aluminium. The increased stiffness and ultimate strength of the components will work to instil greater driver confidence in the car, allowing them to be more aggressive in the corners and aiming for a faster track time.
SHU Racing would like to thank IIDEA Ltd. for their continuing support for the team and the help the have provided to advance this year's developments.
Exhausting work...
Amongst the suspension developments leading up to the easter break, the team have successfully routed and seem welded the exhaust system of the 2019 car. Following design changes to better comply with the IMechE regulations, the exhaust is now routed rearwards to eliminate any risk of laden fumes entering the cockpit whilst idling or at speed.
An FMF OEM exhaust works to dampen the tone of the exhaust gases to again comply with regulations. Requiring certain peak dB levels at idle and at speed, the entire exhaust system has to balance gas flow for performance, and restriction to reduce output volume. Clearance is also required to surrounding components so that overheating does not occure in the tightly packed drive system.
The most free flowing exhaust to date, the 2019 system is set to be sent to our sponsor, Zircotec, to be coated in one of their premium heat-resistive coatings. This will further aid the thermal performance of the exhaust and work to protect those nearby, sensitive components.
