Frame Major Goals/Onboarding Brainstorming
- Joshua Miksits
Year 1 Tasks
(More skill-dependent work)
GENERAL FRAME DESIGN IN SOLIDWORKS
Rough Deadline: Box frame design should be done by winter break
Objective: Have a frame (no bracing, just a boxy layout) in SolidWorks that meets the packaging requirements of our other subsystems (Suspension, Driver + Ergo, Battery Box, Aeroshell).
Tasks
Make a frame reference sketch/master model (no bracing, just a boxy layout for system packaging)
o Duration: 2-3 ish months
o Assignees: Maylin, Josh
o Dependencies: Track width and wheelbase, wishbone hardpoint locations, driver area, battery box dimensions
o Ideas:
-Equation-driven design for the frame sketch
-Standardizing coordinate system and a common datum across all systems
-Skeleton model
Design occupant cell/roll cage (driver sketch inside, design a roll cage that envelops driver that is reg compliant and with enough clearance
o Duration: 3 ish months
o Assignees: Alyssa, new member 1
o Dependencies: Dimensions of main chassis body, driver model/sketch
o Ideas:
-Alyssa and/or a new member could familiarize VR3 requirements (i.e., their method of sketching the occupant cell around a driver sketch).
-Maybe put one of them on generative design for a roll cage?
Choose tube sizing (what diameter tube and what wall thickness where. Comply w/ regs and maximize strength-to-weight)
o Duration: 2 months
o Assignees: Josh, new member 2
o Dependencies: Dimensions of main chassis body
o Ideas:
-Quantify the relationship between tube cross-section (or moment of inertia) and bending stress, as well as the relationship between tube diameter and bending stress.
-Figure out which tubes in the frame need to be the stiffest and which can use load paths. Where could tubes be replaced with composite panels (ONGOING RESEARCH)
-Prioritize high strength-to-weight ratio
Structural integrity (adding 3D sketches that triangulate members and add structural integrity and stiffness)
o Duration: 1 month (designing and experimenting with ANSYS)
o Assignees: All
o Ideas:
-Everyone can iterate off the frame design, and parallelize simulations using both Pickleboxx computers, while other members continue research tasks and documentation.
-Multiple frame ‘configurations’ I.e., everyone has a version of a frame file they are free to make changes to and test around, a master frame file is only changed when there is a major breakthrough which is communicated by members
-Rotate who does the simulations, record and communicate any changes with a frame change log
Research Tasks (ideally to be done in conjunction with main tasks)
Hybrid Monocoque frame research (honeycomb sandwich panels)
o Document and research what it is, how to manufacture
o Make prototypes, empirically test (collaborate with Wesley Barefoot/composites systems on other teams?
Research of topology optimization on chassis (Altair Hypermesh)
Methods of simulation using shell elements or beam instead of solid 3D elements
o Leverage our contacts with other teams such as Waterloo guy (Jens)
FRAME SIMULATION IN ANSYS
Rough Deadline: Testing and iteration done by the end of spring break
Objective: Comply with ASC regulations on required load cases (both static impact loads and dynamic loads under driving conditions) and reduce weight as much as possible
Tasks
Occupant cell load cases
o Assignee: 1 member
o Duration: One month
Roll cage load cases
o Assignee: 1 member
o Duration: One month
Rigidity loads cases (braking force, bump force, cornering force?)
o Assignee: 1 member
o Duration: One month
Redesign and iteration
o Assignee: 1 member
o Duration: Probably like a month
· Interpreting data, PVDR
Year 2 Tasks
(More manpower-dependent work)
FRAME TUBES
Tasks: (One member each, lead takes all docs, reviews/revises, sends out)
SolidWorks file (labeled cut list items)
Balloon drawing of frame + tabs
BOM
Labeled engineering drawings (frame tube critical dimensions, roll hoop, every tab, etc)
FRAME JIG
Tasks
Design a frame jig on an optical table w/SolidWorks
o Table flush jigs
o Hardpoint jigs
o Structural tube jigs
Create a manufacturing plan
Order needed materials (least machining as possible)
Manufacture jigs
FRAME MANUFACTURING
Welding practice on tubes
Assembling jigs
Putting tubes in place
Weld
Dissemble jigs
Finish full welding
Onboarding Strategies and General Curriculum
Overall must-have ideas:
· Members get a good idea using SolidWorks: sketching 2D and 3D, sketch relations, dimensioning, structural weldments, tube trimming, engineering drawings, etc. (All members should just get a good understanding of engineering design)
· Testing their designs, inquiring about the behavior of their part and how it may act under loads. Make changes and test again to see how this affects the results. Let them explore how to design a part that maximizes strength and stiffness, and then how to decrease weight. (Lots and lots of ANSYS, just trying to build curiosity)
· Designing for manufacturability, how can their designs be as simple as possible so they can be quick and easy to manufacture? (Think about machining and jigging early on)
· We need more people that are good at ANSYS
Early member projects:
Design:
SolidWorks design fundamentals
o Best practices, sketch relations, dimensioning, 2D sketches, creating reference geometry, constraining 3D sketches
o Installation of VR3 weldment profiles
o Maybe we make a project where we have them make a simple frame structure using these big ideas
Simulation:
Solid fundamentals
o Teach them basic things, like what stress, strain, deflection, stress-strain curves in materials, bending stress equations for beams in pure bending
o Let them try an example problem such as a cantilevered beam in pure bending and calculate the stress.
o Then, have them verify their results with FEA. Have them solve the equation but for an I-Beam. (What’s the relationship between cross-sectional area and bending stress?)
Basic ANSYS practices
o FEA: What is it? What does it do? Best practices for boundary conditions, loading, and meshing.
o Teach them how to interpret the data, i.e., equivalent Von Mises, maximum principal stress, and deformation.
o Teach them how to read a stress plot, relate it to a stress-strain curve, and understand points where the material yields
o Encourage them to explore the software on their own, and work through the mechanical tutorials included in our license.
o Have them set up and simulate their part on their own. (Give them some guiding ideas of what they can do, encourage them to look through other resources (YouTube) and even to reach out to other teams
o EdX courses online (free)
Manufacturing
Welding
o First teach them what is happening during the welding process, i.e., where is the path of power, how is the arc created, what is happening to the material, what happens when you add filler
o How to properly assemble the torch
o Technique
o Heat and amperage
o Order a bunch of scrap pieces, have the members practice a pool, then lay down dimes, then weld between two surfaces, angled surfaces, curved, etc.
Machine shop tools (Practice parts) Maybe we have set time in the week to get in the shop and practice making something cool
o Lathe
o Mill
o CNC
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