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03 / Manufacturing / Documentation

Machining & design traceability

Connecting engineering drawings, machining, and revision control to manufacture Formula SAE components to their specified requirements.

Team / Role
Husker Motorsports Formula SAE
Suspension / Vehicle Dynamics Director
Project focus
Component manufacturing & documentation
Tools & methods
CNC machining · Manual mill & lathe · Revision control
Engineering drawing titled Rear Left Upright, with dimensions, section views, an isometric view, and manufacturing notes
Husker Motorsports CNC LatheView full-size image (opens in a new tab)

01 / Context

Project overview

A component design has to be design in consideration of the manufacturing process for cost and quality. My Formula SAE work connects CAD and engineering drawings with hands-on machining and documentation of design changes.

This work includes operating CNC mills and lathes, using manual mill and lathe equipment, and manufacturing components to drawing specifications and tight tolerance requirements. Revision control keeps the design decisions and change history traceable.

CAD view of the suspension system and its component interfaces
Fusion 360 CAMFusion 360 CAM software is used to generate toolpaths for CNC machining.

02 / Manufacturing

In house manufacturing

  • Operated CNC mills and lathes as well as manual mill and lathe equipment.
  • Manufactured components to print specifications and tight tolerance requirements.
  • Maintained engineering documentation and revision control to track design decisions and changes.
  • Connected component manufacturing with the wider suspension design and integration work.
Rear left upright drawing showing section views, dimensions, geometric tolerances, and notes
Actuation Rocker ManufacturingDue to the tight packaging constraints, the rocker was manufactured in-house to meet specific tolerances and performance requirements.

03 / Approach

Engineering process

  1. Work from the drawing

    Use the component drawing to communicate the manufacturing requirements. The featured rear left upright drawing includes section views, dimensions, geometric tolerances, and material and finish notes.

  2. Manufacture to specification

    Use CNC and manual machining equipment to produce components to print specifications. The work brings the modeled geometry into the physical suspension hardware.

  3. Keep changes traceable

    Maintain engineering documentation and revision control so design decisions and changes can be followed through the component development process.