Team #9

The University of Michigan MRacing Formula SAE team is interested in improving the performance of their race car, specifically through reducing weight. The wheels have been targeted as an area for weight reduction, as they are unsprung rotating mass and have the highest inertia condition on the car. As members of the MRacing team, we have identified various design options for reducing the weight of the wheels, and have settled on designing and manufacturing a set of cast magnesium wheels. Through the use of these wheels, we will reduce the unsprung mass of the car and greatly improve performance. The wheels were designed with the aid of 3D modeling software and finite element analysis, and cast out of magnesium using a sand-casting process. The tooling was made using rapid prototyping, which greatly reduced production time and cost. They were also physically tested on an Instron machine and will be run on the 2007 MRacing vehicle for design validation