My trip to Ingolstadt has been an amazing experience so far. The Schanzer Racing Team has been very hospitable to me and has kept me very occupied and I already feel like an important member of the team.
Schanzer Racing with the battery for their electric car
I started on the team by passing some of my experience from NMMU Racing. This was especially helpful for the Structural Equivalency Form and the Impact Attenuator Data sheets which are documents submitted for the competition to prove that the vehicle will be safe to drive and which the Schanzer Racing Team needed to be changed, as it is not very clear in the rules of the competition what needs to be submitted. So here I was able to advise the team in the right direction.
Schanzer Racing completing the scrutineering quiz
From there I was given my first responsibility for the car and was appointed in the suspension department in charge of the braking system. My duty was to analyse what had been designed so far, and modify this design to improve the system, making it as light as possible. Once the design was modified my next job was to order the parts needed. I also assisted with the bodywork of the car and helped prepare the moulds for the sidepods and the nose. I also applied the carbon fibre for the side pods and the glass fibre for the nose. I received some compliments for my work on the bodywork as well.
Saleem at Open Day event
I am also currently assisting the team with the design and cost report for the event and hope my experience will help them get a great position in the 2012 Formula Student Germany event.
Now we are putting the final pieces of the puzzle together and hope in the next week to have a completed vehicle. I will be assembling the brake system when the suspension has been completed. From there we will go into the testing phase before the Formula Student Germany event which I am sure that Schanzer Racing will cope well as they have impressed me highly as a first year team with the organisational skills they have and the amount of work they have accomplished as a team in just a year. So wish us luck as the true hard work starts now!
Saleem at Open Day event
Best regards to all back home
Saleem Noorshib