Search results

This paper aims to focus on the design, analysis and additive manufacturing (AM) with two different technologies of an accelerator pedal for the Formula Student 2014 edition to reduce the weight of the original pedal in aluminium and maintain a reasonable level of performance.

The new and the original accelerator pedals were modelled in a computer-aided design application, and three finite element simulations were performed for each manufacturing technology to evaluate three different driving scenarios. Later on, two physical prototypes were manufactured using two AM technologies: poly-jet and fused deposition modelling (FDM). With these physical prototypes, static tests were carried out to verify the computational simulations and to determine the fracture load, while dynamic tests, based on an input signal from a real racing scenario, were performed to ensure their technical viability.

Simulations with poly-jet and FDM printing material show that the new design presents a maximum deformation of 4.8 and 4.09 mm, respectively, under a nominal load of 150N. The results of the static tests with the poly-jet physical prototype showed a maximum displacement of 4.05 mm under a nominal load of 150N, while the ultimate load before fracture was 450N. The FDM prototype reached 3.98 mm under 150N and the ultimate load was 350N. Dynamic tests showed that both pedals were able to withstand four Formula Student “Endurance” events without failure.

This paper states that AM approach is a feasible and economically affordable solution in comparison to exiting solutions with metallic alloys and composite materials when designing and manufacturing accelerator pedal arms for Formula Student competition cars. According to these results, the present research argues that, from a technical point of view, the AM pedals stand at a reasonable level of performance in displacements and stresses. This study suggests that AM pedals could be a viable option that must be considered in professional competitive automobiles.

The purpose of this study is to explore a methodology for connecting microelectromechanical system sensors – i.e. inertial measurement unit (IMU) – to an Arduino-based microcontroller, using graphene-based conductive filament and flexible thermoplastic polyurethane (FTPU) filament and low-cost dual material extrusion technology.

A series of electrical tests were carried out to determine the maximum resistance the conductive paths may take to connect printed circuit boards (PCB). To select the most suitable printing material, three types of conductive filaments were examined. Then an experiment was carried out to find the best printing parameters in terms of printing speed, printing temperature and layer height to minimise resistivity. The size of the conductive path was also analysed. A final prototype was designed and printed according to optimised printing settings and maximum allowable resistances for each line and considering different geometries and printing strategies to reduce cross-contamination among paths.

For the Black Magic 3D conductive filament, the printing speed and layer height played a significant role regarding resistivity, while the printing temperature was not very important. The infill pattern of the conductive paths had to be aligned with the expected current path, while using air gaps between two adjacent paths resulted in the best approach to reducing cross-contamination. Moreover, the cross-section size of the conductive path did not affect the volume resistivity. When combined with FTPU filament constraints, the prototype yielded suitable electrical performance and printing quality when printed at a temperature of 220°C, speed of 20 mm/s and layer height of 0.2 mm.

This paper explores a systematic methodology for the additive manufacturing of commercial conductive material using low-cost extrusion technology to connect complex electronics when data transmission is a key feature.