SAE Baja is a collegiate engineering competition where students design, build, and race off-road vehicles that can withstand rugged terrain. The event challenges teams to apply engineering principles in areas such as design, performance, and innovation, while promoting teamwork and problem-solving skills. I am a team lead responsible for the welding and manufacturing of the vehicle's chassis, suspension, and various other components. I have been Welding Lead over the 23-24 and 24-25 competion seasons. Currently I work with the ergonimcs team handling carbon fiber composits and designs of the steering wheel.
During the fabrication of the chassis, I encountered several challenges that did not have predefined solutions. To address these issues, I collaborated with my subteam members to develop practical and effective solutions.
One major challenge was achieving accurate alignment of the suspension tubes during manufacturing, as well as properly positioning the suspension tabs to produce the correct camber, toe, and angle of attack. To solve the first issue, I worked with a local company in Chico, Ellis Art and Engineering, to create 1:1 scale 2D templates that served as reference guides during fabrication. Previously, suspension and chassis components were aligned using known reference points on the welding table as datums. Errors in this process could create cascading misalignments, potentially requiring the assembly to be restarted. Implementing the templates reduced setup and fabrication time from eight hours to five hours and enabled rapid quality checks during assembly.
To address the second issue, custom aluminum wedges were machined to rotate the chassis to the required angle, allowing the top surfaces of the suspension tabs to sit parallel to the welding table. Together, these solutions enabled me to achieve the designed suspension geometry with 98% accuracy.
As a Welding Lead, I collaborate closely with all vehicle systems to ensure manufacturable designs that optimize production efficiency, reducing manufacturing and assembly times. Throughout my tenure, I have contributed to the development of a diverse range of vehicle designs, consistently maintaining maximum tolerances as precise as 0.032 inches. Additionally, my fast-paced work mentality allows me to execute repairs quickly, effectively, and accurately, ensuring rapid turnarounds during competitions. My meticulous attention to detail ensures the vehicles perform at their peak, as intended by the design engineers. This hands-on experience has enriched my understanding of manufacturing processes and provided valuable insight into creating effective, high-performance design solutions.
Below are more images of fabrication and testing.
