Capstone
Senior Design (Capstone) Project
Final Solidworks Assembly
Design
My group’s capstone project was to design a rear suspension system for a formula society of automotive engineers (SAE) car. The FSAE student organization was creating their first vehicle and outsourced some of the subsystems to capstone groups. Since this was the very first vehicle the team was looking to create, we had to design a system with the only known variables being the chassis size and material. The largest factors that came into play were communication and integration of our system with related (and generally nonexistent) systems of the car. In the end, we designed a suspension for the team and purchased most of the components. However it would need to be assembled at a later date when the rest of the car was built.
Test build
Testing
Physical tested was limited as we did not have the resources to accurately model the dynamic situation that the vehicle would experience. We ran theoretical static and dynamic tests via software to determine various loads and responses. The physical testing we were able to do was to verify and model the structural layout of the design so that it could be presented as a system. Some subsystems such as the spring and damper system were purchased, however the overall assembly was machined and welded in house.
Testing load ratios
Experience gained
Team leadership and organization
Long term project oversight and presentation
Machining and welding experience
Test method development and adjustment
FEA analysis