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Revolutionizing Automotive Design: A Case Study on Technische Universität Dresden's Formula Student Team
Technology Category
- Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
Applicable Industries
- Equipment & Machinery
- Life Sciences
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Additive Manufacturing
- Manufacturing Process Simulation
The Challenge
The Technische Universität Dresden's Formula Student Team faced the challenge of designing and manufacturing a new Formula Student steering column mount. The existing steering column mount was complex, consisting of four different areas at different angles, making it difficult to produce with a 5-axis milling machine. The solution to produce this part consisted of four different milled aluminum parts that were all bolted together. The team was looking for a way to simplify the design and production process, reduce the weight of the part, and improve its performance characteristics.
About The Customer
The customer in this case is the Technische Universität Dresden's Formula Student Team, which is involved in designing and manufacturing parts for Formula Student vehicles. The team is composed of students and researchers, including Michael Süß, a Research Fellow at the university who is currently working on his PhD focusing on design guidelines for additive manufacturing/electron beam melting. Michael also works closely with the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, one of Europe's leading research institutions in the fields of adhesive technology, material sciences, and manufacturing techniques. Lucas Hofman, a current student at the university, also collaborated on this project.
The Solution
The team decided to use solidThinking Inspire for the design process and electron beam melting for the production of the new part. SolidThinking Inspire was chosen for its ease of use, integrated analysis tools, and PolyNURBS features, which allowed the team to quickly take optimization results and reconstruct the part for manufacturing. The electron beam melting process was chosen for its freedom in design and fewer design constraints compared to other manufacturing methods. The team worked with the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM to complete the manufacturing using an Arcam A2X electron beam melting machine. The part was produced with a titanium alloy, which contributed to significant weight savings.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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