SAE Baja: Frame

Each year the UW Mechanical Engineering Department sponsors the SAE Baja senior design project. Taking place over two semesters, the goal of the project is to design and fabricate a vehicle capable of competing at one of the SAE competitions held at various locations around the country. The performance of the vehicle during competition reflects directly on the UW Mechanical Engineering Department. Consequently, it is in the best interests of both the school and the design team to produce a vehicle that performs well. The frame team was concerned with exceeding the performance of the previous year's vehicle through thorough redesign. Primary concerns included weight reduction, driver and spectator safety, proper interfacing with other design teams, and pleasing aesthetics. Weight reduction has been addressed through geometry redesign as well as material selection. Safety is accounted for through adherence to SAE safety rules as well as sound engineering judgement. Aesthetics involved the elimination of all sharp edges and unprofessional fasteners. Ultimately, our design improves upon the previous UW Baja vehicle.