Case Study: University of Connecticut Formula SAE keeps racecar design and production on track with Mastercam

CAD/CAM Software Keeps Racecar Design and Production on Track

The University of Connecticut's Formula SAE student engineering team faced the challenge of designing, producing, and testing a Formula-style racecar for an international competition. This required them to machine complex and precise components like differential mounts and sprocket adapters, often using materials that are difficult to work with. The team utilized Mastercam for SOLIDWORKS, a CAD/CAM software, to overcome the difficulty of manual G-code programming and to handle their in-house manufacturing needs.

The solution from Mastercam provided the students with accessible and efficient CAM programming directly within their SOLIDWORKS design environment. Features like toolpath verification and simulation allowed the team to catch errors before machining, saving time and material. This support, which also included Mastercam machining some of their most complex parts, directly contributed to the team's success. As a result, the UConn FSAE team built a highly competitive car that completed the rigorous endurance race and accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in under three seconds.

University of Connecticut

Dylan Palin

Mechanical Engineering Student and President of Formula SAE Team