SA students build 'Formula' car
2012-05-03 14:47
LOCAL CHAMPIONS OF ENGINEERING: Students from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology pose with their F1 car set to take on other student rides in the Formula Student race later in 2012.
Cape Town, South Africa – Students from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) have unveiled their SA-built 'Formula' car to race at Silverstone in England as part of the international Formula Student (FS) motorsport competition in July, 2012.
The team, Cape Speed, will pit their car against 110 teams from around the world.
The FS competition aims to inspire and develop enterprising young engineers and universities are challenged to design and build a single-seat race car for the events.
LONG JOURNEY AHEAD
At a cost of R500 000, the project developed by the Adaptronic Advanced Manufacturing Technology Laboratory, part of the Faculty of Engineering at the Cape tertiary institution, has taken three years to complete and involved 15 students, 10 of whom will go to Silverstone with staff members.
CPUT’s AMTL programme director Professor Oscar Philander said: “We're incredibly proud of our students and their achievement to make it this far in the competition and having been chosen as part of the 110 selected where more than 200 had applied."
The engineering team consists of nine mechanical engineering and one mechatronics student.
At Silverstone the car will be tested and receive points. A maximum of 1000 can be awarded for the combined static and dynamic tests.
Team leader Kerwyn Lategaan said: “Putting together sponsorship proposals, marketing and business plans that would generate the capital needed was a huge task in itself and our presentation to the judging panel will carry a lot of weight when we are at Silverstone.”
