July 25, 2011
School of Engineering, Coimbatore
 

“Where commitment and team work blend, a pathway for a new generation to follow, is created.”
 

Expressing such lofty sentiments, the Amrita students who had exhibited great commitment and team work while building a formula car left for Spielberg, Austria to participate in an international student event.
 

During July 26-29, the multidisciplinary team of 24 engineering students will compete with the best teams worldwide and showcase their engineering marvel.
 

“These Collegiate Design series of competitions of SAE (Society for Automotive Engineering) provide students the right opportunity to exhibit their design and engineering skills,” informed Dr. Thirumalini, the team’s faculty advisor.
 

It took a year and a half for the students to build their masterpiece. “It was a wonderful experience to learn first-hand and do the fabrication ourselves,” the students enthusiastically shared.
 

The team imported the engine of a bike from the US to use in their formula car; most other parts were assembled at the Amrita campus.
 

Great emphasis was placed on safety features. Disc brakes were attached to all four wheels. In contrast, most modern cars have disc brakes on only the front wheels. An impact attenuator made of rubber was attached to the front, to absorb impact in case of collision with other cars.
 

The team received support not only from institution faculty but also many local businesses and organizations.  

“We are thankful for the faith placed in us by MSC Adams, CADD Centre, Brakes India Ltd., Autozone, PTC and Jeyam Automotive,” the students stated.
 

When the students drive their F1 style race car at the SAE event in Austria, they are confident of achieving a speed of 120km / hour. Their model will be tested on design and engineering features and compared with other entries.
 

“We have given our best. We believe that our technical expertise will yield the best results,” the students confidently stated.
 

“Our biggest assets are a strong will to achieve and scale new heights,” they proudly added.
 

Having begun in 2007, the SAE Amrita Collegiate Club has taken many such bold initiatives. “In our very third year of existence, we took a leap in deciding to participate in an international event by building a formula car.”
 

“Though we started in a modest way, our team Lakshya found its way through. People multi tasked fabrication, marketing and handled finance.”
 

“Quite fortunate are the students who bore the pains to accomplish this, as they will stand to gain a huge advantage in recruitment processes,” Mr. Lakshmikanthan, co-faculty advisor.
 

We wish these students all the best!
 

SEE ALSO
Building a Formula Race Car
Amrita Team Scores Again at BAJA SAEINDIA
New Aerospace Club at Amrita