Waterjet systems manufacturer Jet Edge, Inc. recently
helped the University of Minnesota Solar Vehicle Project (UMNSVP) by waterjetting several fiberglass composite chassis
components for the team’s new car, “Eos.”
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Jet Edge R&D Engineer
Michael Wheeler (left) and Machinist Brian Wallace (center) discuss the
waterjet cutting process with members of the University of Minnesota Solar
Vehicle Project, Shiping Yi, Jacob Herbers and Chris Yamaguchi.
|
St.
Michael-based Jet Edge is one of several Minnesota companies helping the student
solar car team design and manufacture its two-person Cruiser Class car that
will compete in the 3-day Formula Sun Grand Prix track race at Circuit of the
Americas in Austin, Texas, in July and the 3000 km (1877 mile) World Solar
Challenge in Australia in October.
The
40-member student-run team has been working on Eos for a year and a half and
plans to unveil it sometime in early July, said team engineer Jacob Herbers. Until
then, all design improvements are being kept under wraps.
Eos
is the UMNSVP’s 12th car since the project’s inception in 1990.
The project has raced numerous times in
both the American Solar Challenge and the World Solar Challenge. Over the years, the project’s teams have
placed either first or second 15 times and have travelled to Canada, Australia,
Japan, and Taiwan. The project has given students invaluable real world
experience as they are responsible for designing, funding, building, testing,
and racing each vehicle. It also has
helped advance solar technology by serving as an innovation test bed, and has
helped advance electric motor technologies, paving the way for today's
successful electric car companies.
The project has benefited from the
tremendous support of Twin Cities businesses, noted Herbers, who recently
completed his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.
“There are hundreds of
different parts in the car, including the carbon composite outer shell, the
carbon and fiberglass composite chassis panels, aluminum and steel mechanical
components, solar cells, electric motors and controllers, lithium-ion batteries,
electrical wiring, etc.,” he explained. “Our project would be impossible without the help of local
manufacturers, who have helped us with layups, laser-cutting, tube bending, CNC
milling and lathing, heat-treating, soldering and waterjet cutting.”
Herbers
explained that the car’s chassis components and other parts are cut from as
light of material as possible to help the car achieve faster speeds. The team’s previous car topped out at 80
miles per hour.
“The
finished weight is estimated to be 500 pounds,” he said. “Every added pound of weight on the car would
cause us to have to drive slower in the race.
Jet
Edge’s role in the project was to cut 14 parts from a 0.53” thick composite
material that consisted of a layer of fiberglass on either side of 0.5"
thick aramid honeycomb core. The
waterjet manufacturer cut the parts in its St. Michael test lab, using its
latest EDGE X-5® 5-axis waterjet cutting system.
Prior
to cutting the parts, Jet Edge’s R&D engineer Michael Wheeler and Machinist
Brian Wallace worked with the team to create DXF files from 3D files supplied
by the team. They then used IGEMS
waterjet CAD/CAM/nesting software to produce the complicated bevels and to
create the CNC programs. While the parts
were already nested by the team, Wallace fine-tuned the nesting using IGEMS to
save material.
“We
cut the parts at 78,000 psi using a 0.010/0.030 orifice/nozzle combination,”
said Wallace. “We used 0.4 pounds per
minute of 80 grit garnet abrasive. We
cut the holes at 10 inches per minute and the external shapes at 60 inches per
minute. We adjusted the speed down
appropriately for the bevels cuts. We
only had one sheet of material to work with, so we utilized our nesting
software to get the most parts out of that sheet. It took about 30 minutes to cut all 14 parts.”
“This
was first time I’ve cut a honeycombed composite material with the 5-axis,”
Wallace said. “It worked perfect. We probably could have cut the part without
abrasive, but we didn’t have a lot of material to experiment with, so I decided
to use abrasive. The material wasn’t
hard, but with the honeycomb and the bevels, you’re cutting through open areas
that interrupt the waterjet, and you are cutting through thicker and thinner
material as it bevels.”
To
Herbers’ knowledge, the team has always used waterjet to cut its composite
components.
“It is very precise and ensures a good fit
when we assemble the chassis panels,” he said.
Herbers
encouraged other students to get involved in the Solar Vehicle Project. The UMNSVP is open to all University of
Minnesota students, regardless of their area of study, he noted. Members can have as much or as little involvement
as they want, but everyone works on designing and manufacturing a part of the
car and more experienced members hold leadership positions.
“It is very interesting to visit
with local manufacturers and see their processes,” said Herbers, who is
pursuing a career that will allow him to use his knowledge to save energy and protect
the environment. “I've learned a lot
about how to design parts for manufacturability, and have gotten to see
firsthand how parts of different materials get made, which are things that
mostly aren't taught in school, and will definitely help prepare me for a
career in mechanical engineering.”
About the University of Minnesota Solar
Vehicle Project
The University of
Minnesota Solar Vehicle Project is a student-run project that designs, builds
and races solar vehicles in the United States and abroad. Since its inception in 1990, the project has
built 12 cars and has raced numerous times in the American Solar Challenge and
the World Solar Challenge. The project’s
teams have placed either first or second 15 times. For more information about the University of
Minnesota Solar Vehicle Project, visit www.umnsvp.org, e-mail svp@umn.edu or call 612-460-7876.
About Jet
Edge, Inc.
Established in 1984, Jet
Edge is a global designer and manufacturer of waterjet systems for precision cutting, surface
preparation and coating removal. Jet Edge waterjets are used around the world in a broad
range of industries, from the world's leading airlines to automotive,
aerospace, industrial manufacturers, machine and job shops. Jet Edge waterjet
systems are proudly made in the U.S.A. For
more information about Jet Edge, visit www.jetedge.com, e-mail sales@jetedge.com or call 1-800-JET-EDGE (538-3343). Follow us on Twitter
@jetedge.
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