EEMS
  Articles

Australians scoop top Formula Student 2004 award

Author: IMechE

Source: Autoindustry

Publication Date: 21st July 2004


In a thrilling climax to the 2004 Formula Student event at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, Leicestershire, England, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Australia sped ahead to take the title as Class 1 Overall Winner against 54 other Universities.

Formula Student 2004 was by far the most successful event to date with a record-breaking entry of 85 university teams across all four classes, from 19 different countries and involving nearly 1000 students and 100 judges.

Formula Student is the biggest event of its kind in Europe.  Run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), in partnership with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), it promotes careers and excellence in engineering, by challenging university students to design, build, develop, market and compete as a team with a small single seater racing car. 

Furthermore, the Formula Student provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate their skills, enthusiasm, ingenuity and commitment to engineering excellence, and for the industry to foster close links with academia to develop the people skills they need for future success.

The Formula SAE-A Racing Car was designed and built by RMIT engineering degree students at the University's Bundoora East Campus, Melbourne.

Forty students were involved in building the winning car as part of their coursework and were assessed on it as part of the degree programme.

“One of the things that I am constantly asked is ‘Do your teachers help you design the car?',” Formula Student 2004 Team Leader and RMIT Automotive Engineering student, Michael Clarkson said.

“I always answer ‘No, we start with the competition rules and a blank sheet of paper. From that we build a fully working race car! We have all the facilities right here on the RMIT Bundoora East Campus, including wind tunnel, engine dyno, carbon-fibre facilities – the works.'”

Of the forty students, eight traveled to the UK to compete in the event; battling with the variable weather conditions that occurred over the three day event.

Automotive Engineering Associate Professor, Simon Watkins, said the Formula Student Racer Car project was a highlight of the course for those involved.

“This has been the most motivating student exercise I have seen in 20 years of higher education,” Associate Professor Watkins said. “This teaches the students the non-reversible nature of time and money.”

Other winners of the day were:

Class 1 (200) series University of Applied Sciences, Stralsund, Germany
Class 2 Imperial College, London, UK
Class 3 University of Bath, Bath, UK

Added to the database on 21st July 2004

Keywords: Formula Student, design, engineering, competition,