Aerospace skills in pole position

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Leicestershire-based subcontract machining firm APT is applying its aerospace quality accredited capabilities to drive a university racing team to success.

For the second year running, APT is helping the University of Leicester Racing Team compete in the IMechE Formula Student 2017. With an all-electric racing car, the team has a promising chance of becoming the highest placed UK electric vehicle team at the Silverstone event in July, building on its third-place success in last year’s event.

IMechE Formula Student is the largest student motorsport competition in the world, with over 3000 students from more than 150 teams and six continents attending. This year the UoL Racing Team, which is made up of over 30 students from various disciplines, hope to achieve an even higher place with an improved design for its  electric racing car.

A core element of APT’s business method is to nurture and develop engineering talent, so this was an ideal opportunity for the company to help the next generation of engineers. APT has its own popular apprenticeship program that sits at the core of the business, helping it to grow and develop further.

Using the on-campus workshops the racing team was unable to produce the quantities needed of the lightweight inboard aluminium spacers that it had designed, so it sought the assistance of the local engineering subcontractor. APT was able to advise the students on the best design for the manufacture of the parts and working with their 3D files, produced the parts in its Leicestershire factory.

APT is an aerospace quality AS 9100 and ISO 9001 approved manufacturing firm and applies the principles of this demanding standard to every part produced in its factory – including the turned parts for the electric racing car’s suspension.

As well as championing the next generation of engineering talent through contributing to projects like the UoL’s electric racing car, APT has designed its own car to showcase the firm’s subcontract turned parts and CNC components machining capabilities.

The small cars are designed to hold phones, tablets or even business cards. Each part of the model racing car has been designed and created to APT’s manufacturing standards in a range of materials including aluminium, mild steel, brass, stainless steel and plastics.

Specialised manufacturing methods demonstrated on the car include hexagon key broaching, CNC engraving and laser etching. The company is offering readers the chance to win of these limited designs by visiting www.aptleicester.co.uk/sc2107 and registering with your email address.

www.aptleicester.co.uk
www.uolracing.co.uk