Racing engine parts scan

Scan of CULS Prague Formula Racing team racing engine parts

The CULS Prague Formula Racing student team participates in the prestigious Formula Student international engineering competition. In this competition, the students have the task of designing, manufacturing and testing a single-seater formula student according to the valid FSAE rules, with which they will go to races in the summer to compare themselves to the competition. This challenging competition consists of many static and dynamic disciplines, where not only speed and reliability demonstrated on the race track are important, but also originality and sophisticated technical solutions, thoughtfulness of the overall concept, efficiency and economy of operation are valued.

Due to the nature of the competition, it is therefore necessary to carry out continuous development of the single-seater and push the limits further and further. This year, the CULS Prague Formula Racing team is planning a development leap, especially in the area of ​​the engine, ergonomics, electronics and chassis, on the single-seater already with serial number 6. For development, a complete 3D model of the formula must first be assembled, followed by simulation calculations and subsequent verification, measurements and experiments with various parts. In-house developed parts are usually manufactured or modified by the team themselves. For some parts that cannot be produced by yourself, such as tires, shock absorbers, engine parts, etc., the parts are purchased. For such parts, it is necessary to know the details of each product well and perform reverse engineering in order to be able to further modify the part for one's own use. For further work with parts and subsequent innovations, the quality of the model and its accuracy are very important.

But innovation sometimes costs a lot of effort and time, so it's good to save some sometimes. Undoubtedly, 3D scanning is the ideal tool for greatly simplifying work, saving time and increasing accuracy. A modern 3D scan was used to scan specific engine parts such as crankcase and engine block, crankshaft, etc., which was able to scan extremely demanding parts in a few minutes. Even complex curves and folds of aluminum alloy castings were no problem, including scanning minor manufacturing imperfections with an accuracy of 0,02mm. Thanks to the experience of people from the Solidvision company, who modified the models after scanning, it is now possible to use these components for the development of a new single-seater, or rather its heart - the engine.

Vit Šulc
Production manager of CULS Prague Formula Racing Faculty of Engineering/Czech university of life sciences
https://culsracing.v2.czu.cz/cs/