Early introduction of CAE tools enhances success in student design competitions

The Society of Automotive Engineer's (SAE) formula car events are the premier competitions for automotive engineering students worldwide. Student teams from accredited engineering educational institutions are asked to design and build small open-wheel, formula-one style vehicles. Younger members on the teams (freshman and sophomores) are often asked to design parts for the vehicle, long before they have completed the necessary core engineering courses. At Kettering University early introduction of CAE tools in the curriculum has helped to enhance the student's ability to compete. With a high level of motivation, the team members are able to leverage their basic understanding of engineering and engineering tools to perform engineering analysis and design at a much higher level than one would expect. The early exposure to CAE tools has resulted in a number of successes for the Kettering Formula Car team including a 6th placed finish (out of 140 vehicles) in the Formula SAE design event.