Learning and Updating
An Update to the Rear Bulkhead
The rear bulkhead of a Formula Student car is one of the most important areas of the design as it provides a mounting point for the rear wishbones, the differential mounts and the rear suspension assembly. With all these critical components and assemblies being attached to the bulkhead, it’s crucial that it is strong enough and that the mountings themselves are accurate. In previous years, the rear bulkhead was part of the tubular space frame chassis and the mounts were then welded on. This was strong enough, but the mounts weren’t very accurate.
Last year it was decided to implement a removable one piece machined rear backplate. This has allowed for mountings to be machined into the backplate, making them more accurate with better tolerances to make assembly easier. Due to the 2020 event being cancelled, the design wasn’t completed. However, carrying forward the backplate to this year has allowed any issues with it to be resolved.
The design for the 2021 backplate incorporates mountings for the rear wish bones along with the differential mounts. The rocker and shock mounts will be machined separately and bolted on to the backplate. Though this is not ideal for the reduction of parts it is however the easiest method of manufacture.
Learn to Win
On Friday, SHU Racing attended the annual IMechE Learn to Win event which for the first time was hosted virtually. This was a chance for us to learn about the plans for the event this year as well as hear first-hand from the judges what they look for in each of their events and in turn, how the team can improve their performance.
This was a great chance for the managers to find out about the rule changes coming in this year. Whilst the event will predominantly make use of the 2020 rules due to the competition not happening, there are some big changes to pay attention to.
In Learn to Wins virtual format, the team could book one to one sessions with experts on each event, including head judges! This gave us the chance to ask questions about static events, scrutineering and how best to approach it, and also a MathWorks specific session.
Attending Learn to Win was a great opportunity for us to learn more about the event and how it will run this year. It has also helped us to put the finishing touches on some new concepts for this year as we move towards finalising the 2021 competitors design.
Meet the Team
Meet the Team is an opportunity for us to give you a chance to learn a little more about the people who make up SHU Racing. This week, we welcome our new WHUBS Manager, Connor Waterman. Connor oversees the development of the wheel assemblies for SHU Racing this year. His focus will be on reducing the cars unsprung mass and improving braking system for the competition.
Name: Connor Waterman
Age: 22
Course: MEng Aerospace Engineering
Role: Wheels, Hubs, Uprights & Brake systems Manager
Number of years with the Team: 4
Hobbies and Interests: Motorsports (especially F1) & Sim Racing
Favourite Car: Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster
Dream Job: F1 Design Engineer
Reasons for Joining SHU Racing: Great opportunity to get involved with a real engineering project whilst studying at university. Fortunate to have gained many technical and soft skills that are essential when working in industry.
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