april newsletter
DESCRIPTION
The latest news and updates from the Oxford Brookes Racing teamTRANSCRIPT
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APRIL 2014 OBR.BROOKES.AC.UK TWITTER.COM/OXBROOKESRACING FACEBOOK.COM/OXFORDBROOKESRACING
The latest updates
from behind the
scenes at OBR
‘CARLY’ IS COMING
ISIS XIV LAUNCH NIGHT
CAR BUILD UPDATE
BUMPER SPONSORSHIP NEWS
OXFORD BROOKES RACING – APRIL 2014 NEWSLETTER
OBR.BROOKES.AC.UK
Oxford Brookes University will be the host of
the official launch party for ISIS XIV, or
‘Carly’ as she has become known. The
event will take place on the Wheatley
Campus in the R Building, and will feature
an introductary presentation and design
presentation by the design team. This will
then be followed by the unveiling of the car,
and then guests will be able to get a closer
look at the car, meet the team and enjoy a
range of light refreshments.
The event should be a great chance for you
to get to know the team members, get a
closer look at the fine details, and see the
car, parts and systems that you helped us
put together on the car ready for action.
You may bring as many people with you as
you like should you wish to attend, however
we ask that you please let us know how
many of you are coming using the following
email address. This is so that we can gain
an understanding of expected numbers.
The team have been pushing extremely
hard to make sure that the car will be
completed for the event, as we have been
using it as our first major deadline, allowing
a month of testing before Silverstone.
Mark the date for the 2014 ISIS XIV car launch! – June 2nd @ 17:00
Lilley Mitchell from BBC Radio Oxford makes a pit-stop to talk about Formula Student
ROLL-OUT
OXFORD BROOKES RACING – APRIL 2014 NEWSLETTER
OBR.BROOKES.AC.UK
After completing the monocoque at the end
of March, the team have since been
working hard to complete the rest of the
components and systems ready to make
sure we can make the launch event on time
on the 2nd of June. With the chassis sat in
the Auto-Lab the rest of the team can jump
in and begin to start the fit and finish of the
car, with the first parts the front and main
roll-hoops. After that the driver controls
assembly went in, with the steering column
and the brake and throttle pedals getting
bolted through the chassis, with extra
mounts to accommodate the smaller
drivers added for comfort.
The fuel system has been taking shape
steadily, with the team currently planning to
revert to the slightly taller, side-mounted
2012 fuel tank to allow for more space in
the engine bay while the 2014 fuel tank
molds wait on the low priority CNC
machining list.
Our off-shelf parts have also been steadily
streaming in, with the new chain, sprocket,
570cc engine kit & shifter system arriving.
With exams creeping up, the team stays late to ‘make car exist’
The wiring-loom build is progressing well, with the front & sensor legs getting closer
BUILD UPDATE
OXFORD BROOKES RACING – APRIL 2014 NEWSLETTER
OBR.BROOKES.AC.UK
BUILD UPDATE - GALLERY
Brake light
Front roll hoop Throttle Bodies
Old 510 vs new 570cc pistons
Impact Attenuator
Wishbone tabs Rocker post bearing holders
OXFORD BROOKES RACING – APRIL 2014 NEWSLETTER
OBR.BROOKES.AC.UK
This month we would like to express a special thankyou to the following companies:
MAHLE Powertrain UK have joined the team
in a 3 year partnership focusing on
improving engine development and
completing the V-Twin project, more details
included later in the newsletter!
A big thanks goes out to the team at
Primary Designs for completing the
manufacture of our new exhaust pipe.
Sadly we won’t be able to show off the
beautiful workmanship as it will soon be
hidden underneath the layer of thermal
coating.
HellermannTyton have joined us as a
partner, providing the team with much
needed consumeables and fit + fixture
items such as cable ties, fixtures, edging
strip & grommets. Most importantly
however they have agreed to supply all of
the moulded boots for the wiring loom.
Oxford Industrial Finishers took the roll
hoop under their wing over the easter
holiday and powder-coated for us for free.
It’s now got a fantastic and hard-wearing
finish that should keep it looking good.
NGK have joined us as a silver sponsor
after sending us a box full of electronic
hardware that should see the engine boys
through to the end of the year.
SPONSORSHIP NEWS
V-Twin project will see a big boost
Primary’s lovely exhaust pipe
A big box of bits courtesy of HT
Powder coating on the main hoop
OXFORD BROOKES RACING – APRIL 2014 NEWSLETTER
OBR.BROOKES.AC.UK
Thanks to TE Connectivity for the supply of
our Deutsch Autosport connectors for the
wiring loom. We are hoping for a reduction
in weight and an increase to reliability using
their lightweight AS & ASU connector range
Thanks once again to RS Components for
the constant supply of components and
materials for the car, we are looking
forward to their support during the final
build stages where quick response is key.
Finally a massive thankyou to Paul Hamlin
and his technicians at Banbury & Bicester
College for their help with this year’s wings
and wing molds. Just after this newsletter is
released we should be receiving the final
wing profiles back from their Autoclave.
Banbury & Bicester College (formerly OCVC)
has been absolutely crucial to the success
of the car this year and we would like to
express our most sincere thanks to all of
the staff and students there who have
helped us out throughout this year.
NGK donated their best plugs & more
Deutsch connectors ready to go
Yet another delivery from RS!
One of the final wing profile faces, cured with the help and expertise of OCVC
OXFORD BROOKES RACING – APRIL 2014 NEWSLETTER
OBR.BROOKES.AC.UK
With MAHLE signing up to support Oxford
Brookes racing for the next 3 years, exciting
times are ahead for the OBR team
members and Alumni alike.
Unfortunately with a project that relies so
heavily on company support and donations,
spending a lot of time waiting for higher
priority customers to come and go is just
part of FS, however this may all be about to
change, as MAHLE join the team as a
powertrain partner for 2015-17.
It’s great to see MAHLE taking an interest in
the V-Twin project. It was an ambitious task
to say the least, and it’s important to
mention that OBR is the only team in the
Formula Student competition to design and
manfacture our own engine without
underlying support from an engine
manufacturer.
However against all the odds we are well on
the way to a running engine, with just the
final few percent of the manufacturing
stages to go, and a significant boost
coming to the team from this new
sponsorship agreement.
MAHLE are specialists at manufacturing
new engines and prototype components
extremely quickly, and that suits exactly
what the team are looking for to see the V-
Twin through it’s final build stages.
But it doesn’t stop there, MAHLE are also
able to offer the team state of the art
facilities and experience in calibration and
testing equipment. With their support once
the engine runs, we should be able to make
significant development in a short
timeframe, and hopefully bring success at
the Formula Student competitions.
Soon, with the lift that MAHLE can bring we
will be able to hear the sound of OBR’s V-
Twin blasting through the grandstands. But
for now, it’s just a matter of time.
The agreement with MAHLE could be just what OBR’s V-Twin project needed
MAHLE POWERTRAIN
OXFORD BROOKES RACING – APRIL 2014 NEWSLETTER
OBR.BROOKES.AC.UK
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
OXFORD BROOKES RACING – APRIL 2014 NEWSLETTER
OBR.BROOKES.AC.UK
OXFORD BROOKES RACING
OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY
WHEATLEY CAMPUS
WHEATLEY
OXFORD
OX33 1HX