Anteater Formula Racing’s engineers have been hard at work getting our car, Jinx, built and running. Halfway into UCI’s Winter Quarter, we have some awesome updates to share from four of our sub-teams:
Aerodynamics: We’re manufacturing our airfoils for the front and rear wings. This involves cutting large foam molds via computer numerical control (CNC) which precisely cuts the foam into the perfect shape. Then, we sand and paint the molds with special paint so that, when we form the wing out of carbon fiber, it will come off the mold easily and have a nice, smooth surface finish. We’re also using 3D printing to make our smaller components. To do this, we convert our SolidWorks model to a 3D print-compatible form and 3D-print it overnight. Soon, we’ll end up with a strong, lightweight wing that will give us an edge at FSAE California.
Brakes: All brake components have been purchased and our rotors are being machined to our specifications. We’ll assemble and test the entire brake system in the upcoming week!
Chassis: Over winter break, we tack-welded the chassis. Tack welds are small welds that keep the tubes in place so that they can be fully welded without the risk of the tubes moving. This process included making sure the tubes were “jigged up” in the right position. We used a machined floor jig set up over a top-down printout of the chassis and squares to ensure each tube was in the correct spot before being tacked. Additionally, the tubes must be held in place while the welds cool to prevent warping, or natural “pulling” and moving of the tubes. In January, we fully welded the front and middle sections of the chassis. Following the completion of the oil pan, the engine can be mocked up and lowered into the chassis, where the engine mounts will be attached to the engine and welded to the chassis. The remaining rear section can then be welded and the chassis will be complete! See our chassis on its jig below:
Engine Development: We’re currently manufacturing all of the components needed to get Jinx’s engine running! We finished manufacturing our entire exhaust system and are currently mounting it to the chassis. We’re also manufacturing a custom oil pickup and oil pan in order to mount the engine at a height that will give the car a low center of gravity to make the vehicle nimble. Once that’s completed, we’ll work with Chassis to mount the engine itself as they mentioned in their update. Further, the radiator shroud that houses the fan and encompasses the radiator has been manufactured and is being mounted to the radiator. We’re hard at work bringing our designs into the real world so Jinx can be the most competitive FSAE car AFR has ever produced!
Stay tuned for our next update featuring our Driveline, Electronics, Human Interface and Suspension sub-teams!