Technology For Swinburne Electric Car

Additive manufacturing technology helps Swinburne electric car to best-ever Formula SAE result

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Metal additive manufacturing technology from Renishaw has helped a team of students from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, to the University’s highest overall score in the latest Formula SAE competition. As well as being placed sixth overall, the highest position for a team from the University, the car recorded some of the fastest times in the speed trial part of the competition.

Background 

Formula SAE is a competition organised by the Australian branch of the Society of Automotive Engineers in which teams of students produce a prototype for a single-seat racing car and present it to a hypothetical firm for manufacture. The cars compete in a series of track tests. In addition, the teams are judged on the design and cost-efficiency of the car, and on a marketing presentation about their project.

Along with the practical experience gained, the programme gives students the opportunity to work together in a dedicated, multi-disciplinary team to produce an impressive vehicle for the competition. The skills of the team are pushed to the limit to ensure that the design and the manufacturing methods used are innovative and robust.

The team from Swinburne is made up of students in engineering, design and commerce, who work together to design, build, market and race their car. In 2010, the University was one of the first to enter an electric car in the competition. It has continued to race electric cars in subsequent years.

Challenge