Formula SAE
Projects made or lead by me as part of San Diego State University’s Formula SAE team Aztec Racing.
Composites
This project was to post process the high-density foam molds for the racecar composite body panels and then lay up the carbon fiber using a wet layup process followed by vacuum bagging. This was part a group effort as there were multiple molds and multiple layups. I contributed to post processing of molds (sanding and sealing with resin), layup of carbon fiber, and part post processing (sanding and fitting to car). I’m proud of this project because it was my first time working with composites, I learned about the layup process, how to post process molds, and we turned out with an amazing looking racecar.
Chassis and Suspension Fabrication
This is a project that took a significant amount of time and effort but was very fulfilling. This was a joint project with me and other team members. My role in this project was to notch the chassis and control arm tubes manually using an angle grinder until we had appropriate fitment on the specified jigs. For the suspension bell cracks we used waterjet steel plates that were welded to create a boxed structure and the bearing races were machined on a lathe until appropriate fitment tolerance was achieved. After these tasks were completed my role changed to tacking and welding as much of the components as possible without removing the jigs to prevent warping. I used Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW or TIG) techniques to weld the Chromoly tubes. I’m proud of this project because it was a core component of a larger assembly and allowed me to further hone my welding technique, which is a skill I enjoy practicing.
