XTUP 2 SPEED

An SAE IntErnAtIonAl nEwSlEttEr for SponSorS, fAculty, profESSIonAlS, And StudEntS

VolumE 2: ISSuE 14noVEmbEr 2009

thAnkSgIVIng potluck

Our SAE International student chapter hosted a thanksgiving potluck for the College of Engineering. The event was held in the Mechanical Engineering student project room where students normally spend their time studying or working on projects. We invitedstudents and faculty from all departments and even had the Dean of College of Engineering, Dean Belle Wei, participate in the festivities.

It was a great opportunity for students and faculty to relax and enjoy each other’s company outside of the classroom. It was also very exciting to see everyone mingling and having fun while enjoying the afternoon Thanksgiving potluck.

We were very thankful for having such a successful pre-thanksgiving get together. Thanks for attending the event and we all hope you enjoyed the good times as much as us.

Happy Holidays and Happy Thanksgiving!

thAnkSgIVIng potluck

3rd AnnuAl mEchAnIcAl & AEroSpAcE EngInEErIng bbQ3rd AnnuAl mEchAnIcAl & AEroSpAcE EngInEErIng bbQOur SAE International student chapter collaborated with the ASME SJSU student chapter to host the MAE Departments 3rd annual BBQ. During the BBQ we had a soccer game, a volleyball game, and a “balance on a rope” contest.

There were students from the MAE department as well as the civil engineering department present. There were also many faculty members in attendance. Dr. Furman, Lilly Wilderman, and Jeff Yan were generous enough to take over the grill and cook for all the hungry students.

SAE IntErnAtIonAl SJSu blog

Our SAE International SJSU student chapter now has a Blog. Our blog is updated weekly and shows how involved we are in and around campus. Some of the blogs describe the events that we host to days we are fabricating in the shop. We also include links to photos from certain events to links of our most recent sponsors.

For more information please visit:http://saeinternationalsjsu.blog-spot.com

Our SAE International student chapter attended the “Meet the Experts” Design Forum hosted by Advanced Machining Techniques. This event took place at the AMT facility in Morgan Hill and involved industry professionals from a variety of engineering and manufacturing firms including SMP Tech, Inc., Mielke Product Design, Lockheed Martin, Fox Shox, and many others.

This was a great opportunity for our members to network and get a feel for what the industry is looking for. During the event there were presentations by Frank Dutra, President of AMT, Jim Mielke, President of Mielke Product Design, and Tom Roberts, Mechanical Design & Project Management. Their presentations were very informative and we learned many things that class lectures just would not cover. Mr. Dutra also gave facility tours and explained how important and useful the machines he used are for the industry as well as for his company.

Thank you to AMT and the “Meet the Experts” Design Forum for giving us this opportunity.

For more information please visit:www.advancedmachining.com

SAE IntErnAtIonAl SJSu “mEEt thE ExpErtS”SAE IntErnAtIonAl SJSu “mEEt thE ExpErtS”

From left to right - Morgan Crouch, Joey Penniman, the Hostess, Frank Dutra, Tom Roberts, Jeff Yan, and Darren Schwald.

Jeff Yan speaking with an industry professional.

Morgan Crouch sporting the new MAE Dept t-shirt.

Darren Schwald speaking with Eugene from SMP Tech, Inc.

collEgE of EngInEErIng opEn houSE

Our SAE International student chapter participated in the 2009 Fall Open House for the College of Engineering. We showcased both our Formula SAE and Baja SAE vehicles in front of the engineering building. We also had a table set up with all our brochures and packets that described what our student chapter does to get students involved. Throughout the afternoon, children, students, and faculty had the opportunity to sit in and take pictures of our vehicles. We also had a few of our members speak during student panels to answer questions that parents and potential students had about the mechanical and aerospace engineering departments and curriculum.

Open House is always a great way to inform parents, students, and faculty about the wonderful things that students are able to accomplish on campus.

For more pictures from the event please visit:2009 Fall College of Engineering Open House

collEgE of EngInEErIng opEn houSE

As you may have heard, Spartan Racing has recently been attending local autocrosses. The team attended and competed alongside UC Davis during the September session of United Five-Ten Owners’ Series. We also competed in the UFO and an SCCA “Slush” session in October, both of which took place at Marina Airfield, near Monterey.

So why run these events as we have already competed with SR1 at the FSAE West competition in June and why compete in local autcrosses when we are not eligible for points? Why do the MLB, NFL, NBA, and NASCAR all have preseason events? The end of the autocross season is analogous to a sports preseason for a Formula SAE team because it achieves much of the same results. An autocross “primer” in the fall can not only do much for the business of the Formula SAE team, but also be a period of learning when it is needed the most.

In the big picture, attending autocross events is beneficial for the team and its public perception. In addition to raising awareness of the FSAE series, competing in these public events will give the team’s sponsors far more exposure

by: morgAn crouch

tIS thE SEASonthE prE-SEASon

cont. on page 5

Our Spartan Racing team had the unique opportunity to speak with both the Compuware Corvette and the Risi Competizione Ferrari teams while at the American Le Mans race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Although the two teams both compete in the GT2 class we found unique features in both teams that contributed to their success.

GT2 is a class where cars are built based on production vehicles, Compuware on a Corvette ZR1 chassis, and Risi on a Ferrari F430. Both cars were modified extensively for competition but once rules compliant, each team’s approach to fighting for the championship took different turns. After speaking with each team for nearly an hour and asking many questions, we found many similarities between these professional racing teams and our own student team.

Risi Competizione was very adamant about getting additional testing time to train their drivers and to develop their car to its best. Because of a relatively limited budget, the team had to be very careful to spend their resources on areas that would make the most gains. Compuware in contrast, had many more opportunities to test, and had actually made progress developing their car in ways to make their test sessions more efficient, as shown by a completely redesigned suspension and wheel package compared to the OEM corvette. Both teams were very inviting and were nice enough to answer a number of important questions we had regarding everything from vehicle development, team management, even fundraising. We were honored to get a peek into their world of professional racing and how they go about maximizing their assets to duke it out in competition.

We wish both teams success in the coming season and look forward to seeing them again in May when they return to Laguna Seca.

InSIdE thE rISI compEtIzIonE fErrArI And compuwArE corVEttE rAcE tEAmS

fErrArI

corVEttE

Reach Technology Inc. helps manufacturers who must add color touch control surfaces to their products. This shortens time to market and reduces risk and development costs. Reach Technology has been serving customers for more than 20 years. Their product lines include: enclosed units, display modules, controller boards, and development kits.

Reach Technology Inc. has donated one of their programmable LCD’s for our team to incorporate in our Formula SAE racecar. The LCD will be programmed to display data such as speed, RPM, water temperature, and oil pressure. Thanks for your support Reach Technology Inc.

For more information please visit:www.reachtech.com

Since 1967 Energy Research and Generation, Inc. (ERG), the leading manufacturer of open celled metal foam, carbon foam, and ceramic foam materials, has manufactured cutting edge components for the aerospace, national defense, semiconductor manufacturing, biotech and other high technology industries.

ERG has donated a variety of materials to our Formula SAE team. We have been testing the samples and have analyzed some of the data. Once we have collected all the necessary information, we will begin fabricating our impact attenuator. Thanks again for you support ERG.

For more information please visit:www.ergaerospace.com

than testing in an empty parking lot and gives the sponsors a chance to see the team in action. Attending can also yield new sponsors in the benevolent environment of a community motorsports gathering; personal donations and full-sponsorships are possible. Furthermore, public exposure, especially at a place where the attendees and the team members have a common interest, can be the root of team member recruitment.

At the team level, an autocross primer keeps the team in shape much like any professional sport. Drivers get rusty, engineers get fatigued, and managers get burnt out; autocross provides an outlet for this. As driving a Formula SAE car is not as simple as just hopping in and going for a lap, an autocross serves as an excellent platform for driver training and vehicle testing. With autocross experience, the engineering student has a feeling for what he or she is designing that is more tangible than just a paper representation or CAD model. As the senior students leave and new recruits join, the transfer of knowledge becomes a priority, and what better way to illustrate concepts than watching from the sidelines? For the businessperson or project manager, autocross allows a chance to get to meet and understand the wants of the team’s hypothetical customer base: “the weekend autocross driver.” For the continuing students, the post/preseason is a way to gauge just how reliable the parts and systems they designed are.

Autocross keeps the team in constant contact with what they are designing for and opens their eyes to lessons that can only come with experience. But most importantly, the events keep the engineers and managers sharp, on their toes, and better prepared for the challenges that lay ahead. Like any athlete, a good engineer never stops practicing.

For more autocross pictures please visit:SAE International SJSU Photos

the Pre-season cont. from page 3

Leo Vince products are designed in their dedicated R&D facility using advanced CAD/CAM technology. Every prototype is run extensively on the dyno and once approved is tested on the track under the most severe conditions. In many cases we work hand-in-hand with manufacturer’s factory race teams for further development.

Leo Vince has once again teamed up with our Formula SAE Team. Their continued support will help our team reach our goals for 2010 FSAE West competition. We are very thankful for the generous contributions that Leo Vince has given.

For more information please visit:www.leovinceusa.com

Thank You to Our Sponsors upcomIng EVEntSNovember 23, 2009@ 8amG&L Precision Die Cutting

Factory TourSan Jose

November 26, 2009Happy Thanksgiving!

November 28, 2009@ 3pmGo Karting

Go Kart Racer, Burlingame

December 2, 2009 9am-5pmNeat Ideas Fair

Barret Ballroom, Student Union

December 3, 2009 @ 12pm-1pmSilicon Valley Leaders Symposium

Michael Klayco, CEO Brocade CommunicationsEngineering Room E189

December 4, 2009 10amFox Shox Factory Tour

Watsonville

December 4, 2009 @ 3:30pm-5pmModulus Inc. Factory Tour

San Jose

December 8, 2009Last day of Instruction

SJSU

January 7-10, 2009 10am-10pmSilicon Valley International

Auto ShowSan Jose McEnery Center

For more events and updates please visit:www.engr.sjsu.edu/sae/calendar.htmlNewsletter Staff

Editor/Writer: Randy FlorescaWriters: Morgan Crouch Derrick Galindez Brennan Fong Joey Penniman

Randy FlorescaPresident

SAE International SJSU(510) 206 - 3229

randyfloresca@gmail.com

atSan Jose State University