Case Study: UPBracing achieves millimetre-precise race car construction with Hexagon’s ROMER Absolute Arm

How to build a racing car from just some rattling boxes

UPBracing, a student racing team from Paderborn University, faced the challenge of constructing a high-precision Formula Student race car from a collection of loosely packed, individual components. To ensure the safety and function of their vehicle, they needed to weld its steel lattice tube frame together with millimeter accuracy according to their CAD data, a task that was not manageable without sophisticated measurement tools. Vendor Hexagon provided the solution with its ROMER Absolute Arm portable measuring device.

The ROMER Absolute Arm from Hexagon provided the team with an easy-to-use, highly accurate, and portable metrology solution. It allowed the students, who were not metrology specialists, to quickly and precisely verify that their welded frame components matched the CAD design. The solution’s key features, including its lightweight carbon fiber construction, immediate startup, and wireless operation, enabled the team to achieve the required precision, transforming their collection of parts into a complete and competitive racing car for the 2013 season.

UPBracing

Christoph Wälter

Chairman