Dates: March 2024 – April 2024
Client Name: Oxford Brookes Racing
Oxford Brookes Racing (OBR) required master patterns for a rear-wing tool measuring 1m x 0.5m to be laminated by the OBR team. The resulting composite mold would be used for their Formula Student Car to begin testing. With a tight budget and an even tighter deadline, they turned to Plyable for a fast and cost-effective solution.
Challenge/Opportunity:
OBR faced the challenge of creating a high-quality rear-wing within a constrained budget. The opportunity lay in Plyable’s ability to guide them on material selection and cost-saving techniques without compromising on the quality and precision of the mold. Although OBR approached us with a build-to-print tool, Plyable’s engineering expertise helped them to achieve their goals by providing crucial advice on aligning the two halves of the tool and removing excess material, significantly enhancing the tool efficiency and budget.
Solution:
Plyable offered comprehensive engineering advisory services, assisting OBR with material choice and suggesting lower temperature options that maintained accuracy while being cost-effective. Plyable maximized the master pattern production within OBR’s budget and provided guidance on surface preparation. Additionally, an instruction guide for the tool on sealing and surface preparation was produced by the Plyable team, allowing OBR to efficiently use the product as soon as it was delivered.
Key Results:
- Design to delivery within 12 days.
- High-precision tools that met exacting standards, covering a 1m x 0.5m surface area.
- Successful completion of a sizable rear-wing project for the Formula Student Car.
- Trust in Plyable’s supplier network, leading to consistent reorders for diverse projects.
Value Added:
Plyable provided free engineering advice, enabling OBR to stay within budget and accelerate their build process. The fast turnaround allowed OBR to finalise their design phase much later than usual, allowing the design phase to stay open for longer. This year, they were using their original chassis molds, and the quick turnaround for the rear-wing project was crucial for integrating new appendages and meeting their tight schedule.
By leveraging Plyable’s expertise and efficient supplier network, Oxford Brookes Racing was able to achieve their project goals swiftly and effectively, with both teams showing the power of innovation and collaboration in engineering.
“Our collaboration with the Oxford Brookes Racing team showcases Plyable’s ability to deliver successful tooling on budget and ahead of schedule. By providing critical engineering expertise, we were able to guide them on material selection, cost-saving techniques, and precise mold alignment. The rewarding process highlighted the strengths of both teams, working together efficiently. We were delighted to support up-and-coming engineers as they move forward with their exciting careers in motorsport.”
Bill Mattholie, Project Engineer at Plyable
We were very pleased with the delivered product from Plyable, which arrived early, allowing us to complete our rear wing in time for testing on our OBR24 race car. The pattern surface quality was very good, increasing the effectiveness of the car’s primary downforce-creating element relative to other manufacturing methods we would have taken without this support. We appreciate Plyable’s efforts to assist our student team given our budget constraints, and we are looking forward to the projects we will have together in the future!
Prescott Campball, Team Lead at Oxford Brookes Racing
The partnership between Plyable and Oxford Brookes Racing shows how innovative engineering and
collaboration can overcome budget and time constraints. By leveraging Plyable’s advanced
technology and expertise, OBR received a high-quality, cost-effective rear-wing tool in record time,
enabling them to accelerate their testing phase. This successful project not only enhanced OBR’s
capabilities but also fostered the development of future engineering talent in motorsport.
