Altair Case Studies University of Texas – Arlington Leverages IoT for Racecar Design

	University of Texas – Arlington Leverages IoT for Racecar Design Altair

University of Texas – Arlington Leverages IoT for Racecar Design

Altair

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation Sensors - Autonomous Driving Sensors
Applicable Industries	Aerospace Automotive
Applicable Functions	Product Research & Development Sales & Marketing
Use Cases	Time Sensitive Networking Virtual Reality
Services	Testing & Certification
Challenge	The University of Texas – Arlington's Formula SAE racecar team faced a significant challenge in redesigning the pedal box assembly of their 2019 racecar. The previous pedal box assembly, made of a carbon fiber and foam core body with aluminum pedals and mountings, had issues with body flexing and required reinforcement, which unfortunately increased the weight beyond the original design. The team also found the design and simulation process to be time-consuming. The challenge was to make the pedal box assembly stiffer, lighter, and easier to manufacture, while also reducing the time spent on design and simulation. Read More
About Customer	The University of Texas – Arlington (UTA) Racing FSAE team, founded in 1976, has been consistently competing at various competitions across the United States, as well as the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia. The team has built more than 30 cars over 37 years, securing podium finishes in multiple countries. The team is divided into nine subsystems, each led by a chief engineer responsible for systems integration and major design goals. UTA Racing is affiliated with the Mechanical and Aerospace (MAE) department of The University of Texas at Arlington. Read More
Solution	The team decided to redesign the pedal box assembly using aluminum components instead of carbon fiber bits, which would make it easier to manufacture and modify if necessary. They used Altair’s SimLab for the simulation study, which delivered a quicker and well-structured output. The model was solved in HyperMesh using Optistruct. After evaluating and selecting various designs, the team manufactured all components in the same way. The pedal box was designed to be adjustable for various drivers and to meet the FSAE rules for 95th percentile male and 5th percentile female driver templates. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation

Sensors - Autonomous Driving Sensors

Applicable Industries

Aerospace

Automotive

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Sales & Marketing

Use Cases

Time Sensitive Networking

Virtual Reality

Services

Testing & Certification

Challenge

The University of Texas – Arlington's Formula SAE racecar team faced a significant challenge in redesigning the pedal box assembly of their 2019 racecar. The previous pedal box assembly, made of a carbon fiber and foam core body with aluminum pedals and mountings, had issues with body flexing and required reinforcement, which unfortunately increased the weight beyond the original design. The team also found the design and simulation process to be time-consuming. The challenge was to make the pedal box assembly stiffer, lighter, and easier to manufacture, while also reducing the time spent on design and simulation.

About Customer

The University of Texas – Arlington (UTA) Racing FSAE team, founded in 1976, has been consistently competing at various competitions across the United States, as well as the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia. The team has built more than 30 cars over 37 years, securing podium finishes in multiple countries. The team is divided into nine subsystems, each led by a chief engineer responsible for systems integration and major design goals. UTA Racing is affiliated with the Mechanical and Aerospace (MAE) department of The University of Texas at Arlington.

Solution

The team decided to redesign the pedal box assembly using aluminum components instead of carbon fiber bits, which would make it easier to manufacture and modify if necessary. They used Altair’s SimLab for the simulation study, which delivered a quicker and well-structured output. The model was solved in HyperMesh using Optistruct. After evaluating and selecting various designs, the team manufactured all components in the same way. The pedal box was designed to be adjustable for various drivers and to meet the FSAE rules for 95th percentile male and 5th percentile female driver templates.

Impact #1	The redesign of the pedal box assembly using aluminum components not only met the pre-set performance goals but also made the assembly easier to manufacture. This improved the team's performance in the 'Cost Report' event compared to the carbon one. The use of Altair’s SimLab for the simulation study significantly reduced the setup time for the assembly simulation, allowing the team to iterate multiple designs in a short amount of time. This not only improved the stiffness-to-weight ratio of the pedal box but also sped up the design time, enabling the team to meet accelerated build cycle deadlines. Furthermore, the project helped the engineers involved to develop their knowledge regarding computer-aided engineering (CAE).

Impact #1

The redesign of the pedal box assembly using aluminum components not only met the pre-set performance goals but also made the assembly easier to manufacture. This improved the team's performance in the 'Cost Report' event compared to the carbon one. The use of Altair’s SimLab for the simulation study significantly reduced the setup time for the assembly simulation, allowing the team to iterate multiple designs in a short amount of time. This not only improved the stiffness-to-weight ratio of the pedal box but also sped up the design time, enabling the team to meet accelerated build cycle deadlines. Furthermore, the project helped the engineers involved to develop their knowledge regarding computer-aided engineering (CAE).

Benefit #1	Reduced simulation time by more than 30 percent
Benefit #2	The final parts designed were 20 percent lighter
Benefit #3	Achieved 3rd place overall, 2nd in engineering design and 3rd in the autocross event at FSAE Lincoln 2019

Benefit #1

Reduced simulation time by more than 30 percent

Benefit #2

The final parts designed were 20 percent lighter

Benefit #3

Achieved 3rd place overall, 2nd in engineering design and 3rd in the autocross event at FSAE Lincoln 2019

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Overview

University of Texas – Arlington Leverages IoT for Racecar Design

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit