Myco van de Beek, Jeroen Visser and Nick Pieters are members of the development team of Regterschot Engineering. They are developing a composite roof for their racecar, a BMW E46 sedan. They tell you all about it!

What is the goal?

We chose this assignment because it’s a challenging task that leads to a lot of gained knowledge and beautiful product at the end. During this project we hope to gain experience working with composite materials which is very important for the future of this race team.

But why a composite roof?

A composite is a material that consists of two or more materials that exhibit very different material properties. By combining them one can create a new, very strong and resilient material. A well-known example of a composite is carbon fiber, a strong material consisting of carbon fibers and a binding agent or epoxy used for lightweight constructions in vehicles. By combing the properties of the carbon and the epoxy one can create shapes and components with properties which would have been impossible if you used different materials or the components separate. One goal of this project is to gain experience into composite materials so we can utilize that knowledge to facilitate more such projects in the future.

Are there positive learning effects?

By introducing a composite roof we aim to lower the center of gravity and the mass of the vehicle, because a composite material has a lower weight then steel. This is desirable because this positively effects the cars handling trough cornering, and lower weight gives faster acceleration and decreases the wear on load baring components. By learning how to work with composite materials, more composite parts can be made in the future to further improve the cars characteristics. At the moment we’re still in the research phase of the project, so a lot of information is yet to be gathered and documented to reinforce our choices and decisions when it comes to design and material choices.

What has to be done?

In order realize our final component, a lot of calculations and research has to be done on the subject and the findings documented. Everything has to be archived so it can be verified and consulted later by future engineers or teachers. Furthermore, to ensure the quality of the product all the parts need to meet regulations set by the KNAF and DNRT to be able to participate in the championship. The vehicle also needs to meet safety requirements for the driver in the case of an accident.

We are also part of the Racing team which consists of the pitstop crew, race engineers and strategists. This means the whole race including the car is in control of the students which ads a fun dynamic to the organization. We are currently looking into the different positions that need to be manned during the race weekend and who wants to do what. We also need to know what equipment is needed, what we already have and what we still need to get.

How does the team stay motivated?

To ensure the quality of the race team, every Monday we have a meeting with the entire racing team about these topics and discuss ideas, and in a few weeks pit crew training starts in which they will start practicing pit crew activities, such as changing tires and working on- and doing repairs on the car. The refuel crew will practice refueling so everything will go as quickly, smoothly and safely as possible. The strategist will look into the race strategy for the weekend etc. Everyone will have an important role in the team and together we make it possible to have a successful championship.

All in all, we are excited to this semester’s project and are sure we will come up with a successful solution for the task given. When finished, we will have a very nice report that will give us a head start into the field of composites, as team as well as individual. The construction of the roof will on top of that give us practical experience on working with and the manufacturing of composites, and in the end will give us a very nice looking product to show off our hard work.

Source and photography: Regterschot Racing