The nosecone was first modeled in a surface modeling program, Alias, by my co-design lead, Geoffrey Dam. Once a model was finalized, I was tasked on the manufacture of the nosecone itself. Given a low budget, leftover foam from the architecture department was used to create a foam mold. Here, it is seen the nosecone being split into sections that will be built from the leftover foam. The CAD program in use is Solidworks 2012.
The nosecone is split into multiple sections and projected onto a single sketch.
A 1:1 scale template is printed and pasted onto the foam stock and band-sawed to a rough shape.
The band-sawed foam pieces are stacked and adhered together. Steel pipes are added for additional strength to the mold.
Multiple hours were spent on sanding and body filler application.
High build primer was used once the mold was the desired shape. The primer was wet-sanded to a smooth finish since the surface is transferred over to the mold. Mold release was sprayed on before the application of fiberglass mat and epoxy resin.
Mold preparation for the wet-layup consisted of polishing the mold, positioning the carbon weave, adding breather cloth and release film, then bagging the entire mold.
The trimmed, painted, and installed bodywork on the 2012 FSAE car.
Vinyl is applied, which includes accents and sponsor logos.
7th place overall finish, Lincoln Nebraska.
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FSAE 2012: Bodywork Design Co-Captain
For FSAE 2012, my colleague and I produced hand-made plugs from foam, then produced fiberglass molds. We employed a wet-layup technique to produce carbon composite bodywork, which include nose cone, side panels, and muffler cover.
