CNC Machining Accelerates Solar Racing Car Crossing 3,000 Kilometers

At RPWORLD, advancing product innovation for young professionals is deeply rooted in our tradition. We're delighted to support the innovative product designers and engineers as they are on their creative journeys.

Recently, we sponsored the αCentauri Solar Racing team with customized components needed to the mechanical braking system of their solar car. The αCentauri team, running out of ETH Zurich, is dedicated to cultivating technical talents who are passionate about addressing environmental challenges. This partnership perfectly aligns with our mission to promote innovation and sustainability.

Project Background

The initiation of solar car development by αCentauri team was driven by a noble cause —addressing the threat to the nation's lost glaciers due to climate change. The project aimed to use solar energy to redefine sustainable transportation, and to inspire the world towards a more sustainable future. This led them to target the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. It is a 3,000km race through the Australian outback. In this challenge, 42 teams from 21 countries will race solar cars across Australia, testing both technology and human endurance.

Project Challenges

When faced with the challenging task of creating customized parts for the solar racing car, αCentauri team turned to RPWORLD. The team manager expressed his concerns:

• How to choose processes & materials for different mechanical parts: We urgently needed various metal parts for the steering wheel transmission shaft and brackets, but we're not sure about the best manufacturing processes and materials, especially when low quantities are required.
• The project is on a tight deadline: While most components of the solar car were ready, we hope the car could be finalized as soon as possible to complete the test and have the best performance in the challenge.  

RPWORLD Solutions

The Comprehensive DFM Analysis  

Our dedicated team of engineering professionals love to provide suggestions on manufacturing selection, design optimization, material selection, and post-processing methods for the project. When considering the bracket, the αCentauri team initially intended to use CNC machining. However, with comprehensive analysis, our engineer suggested sheet metal fabrication from Aluminum 5052, with the parts manufactured from a standard sheet metal of 3mm thickness.

Material Selection

The steering wheel transmission shaft components demanded aluminum material with exceptional characteristics. Different grades of aluminum materials present distinct characteristics. Here’s the comparison of several commonly used aluminum materials.  

We selected aluminum 6082-T6 and aluminum 7075-T651 for the solar racing car project due to their superior strength and good anodizing properties, which are crucial for the high-performance demands of the vehicle.

Manufacturing Solution

After a thorough analysis, RPWORLD's engineering experts chose CNC machining and sheet metal fabrication to produce precision components for mechanical braking system. These processes offer precision and customization advantages, ensuring precision and efficiency for these parts.

To ensure both functionality and visual aesthetics, certain finished parts have also been anodized, not only enhancing their appearance but improving resistance to corrosion. Our comprehensive manufacturing solution enables customer to get components faster, accelerating the solar car development.

Customer Benefits

• With CNC Machining and other manufacturing solutions, lead time was reduced by 50%.
• Management risks reduced by customized and one-stop solution with multiple processes.
• Production cost was reduced by 40% via changing to more appropriate manufacturing solution. 
• High quality parts were assembled seamlessly on mechanical breaking system.     

The great part of RPWORLD, was the fast delivery time they gave us, while not compromising on the quality of the product. So, I want to take this moment and thank RPWORLD for the part they delivered, which will enable us to complete at very high level at the Bridgestone World Challenge.

—  Manager of αCentauri Team