SKF drivetrain and suspension bearings help the UWE Formula Student team aim for gold at this year’s Formula Student Competition at Silverstone - 13-15 July

A sponsor since 2017, SKF Clevedon has continued their support of the University of the West of England (UWE) Formula Student team, supplying bearings for the drivetrain and suspension for their most ambitious car to date.

The 61-strong UWE Formula Student team (UWEFS) have been hard at work bringing a major re-design to this year’s car with the goal to break into the top 10 UK ranking universities at the Formula Student competition. The changes include the custom designed 10” wheels, a full aerodynamics package, a wireless telemetry system to monitor every aspect of the car and the change to the Triumph 675cc engine. To celebrate the launch of their car, the team were invited to Aerospace Bristol to unveil the car under the nose of Concord; one of the finest works of British engineering.

A keen supporter and sponsor of the team, SKF Clevedon supplied a range of bearings for the car and provided technical assistance on bearing selection and installation throughout the 2018 design process. The team’s design goals included reducing the frictional losses in the drivetrain and suspension component, and achieving maximum reliability from the car during the competitions gruelling dynamic trials. There are 58 SKF bearings of various types used in the construction of UWEFS’s 2018 car.

The suspension features 44 SKF bearings including 24 SKF GEH10 C maintenance-free spherical plain bearings pressed into the wishbones reducing the compliance of the suspension. 20 SKF left and right hand rod ends provided the ability to quickly adjust the ride height, anti-roll and setup of the car without the removal of suspension components. Meanwhile, the hubs, drivetrain and steering assembly are equipped with 61811-2RZ and 608-2RSL sealed deep groove ball bearings.

Members of the Formula Student team gain a deeper knowledge and further understanding of engineering throughout their degree, they often develop more practical skills as well as developing their use of complex engineering tools such as CAD, FEA and CFD. The product development department at SKF Clevedon has taken advantage of this knowledge, with the last two of their ‘Year in Industry’ students being part of the UWE team.