Name: Christos Schizas
Sub-team: Chassis & Dynamics
Part: Rockers
Purpose of the part: A Rocker is the link which transfers the forces generated by the motion of the car from the pullrod or pushrod to the damper assembly in a formula style inboard suspension. The rocker pivots around a connection with the chassis, making use of ball bearings to minimize friction.
What are the specific features of your design? The rocker assembly consists of two plasma cut aluminium alloy plates with a housing in between containing the bearings and a spacer. Using Finite Element Analysis methods and topology optimization, the load paths were identified and excess material was removed to keep the design at a low mass.
What were the challenges to overcome? Using FEA software for the first time to design something was the biggest challenge. You have to learn how to navigate the interface and provide the correct input and settings to get the desired output. The immense knowledge of other team members and their willingness to lend a hand was the biggest help.