TUAS to develop an electric rallycross car in cooperation with 3DTech Oy
3DTech Oy, a company specializing in 3D printing technology, and Turku University of Applied Sciences have signed a cooperation agreement on designing and printing components to an electric rallycross car. The project forms a new learning and research environment that aims to keep up with the fast developing field of electric car engineering.
The technology company 3DTech Oy, located in Southwest Finland, will 3D print components for the electric car and test new printing technologies that meet the needs of the automotive industry. The cooperation also involves giving students the latest insight on the possibilities 3D printing offers.
3DTech Oy specializes in 3D printing and related solutions and offers services in the area of 3D printing, 3D scanning, 3D design and contract manufacturing.
"This is a great opportunity for us to step into the world of motor sports. In this cooperation with Turku University of Applied Sciences, we’ll get to test and develop our own competence in a whole new learning environment where the requirements regarding the end product are on a very high level. This is also an important branch of industry for us and complements our key business areas", summarizes Tomi Kalpio from 3DTech.
A versatile learning project
Electricity is finding its way into the world of rally sports. Building an electric rallycross car is a challenge, with plenty of work in product development, optimization of the energy efficiency, modelling, simulation, battery technology and marketing.
In the project run by TUAS, the emphasis is on the development and building processes and everything related to those processes, as well as on all the research, learning and doing together that happens around them.
"Students and companies meet, new networks are created, and strong and versatile electric vehicle competence is generated in Southwest Finland", describes Head of Education and Research Ari Putkonen.
According to Project Manager Mika Seppänen, the development process of the electric rallycross car has been started by carrying out requirements specification and powertrain simulations. An early version of the vehicle body is already on the school premises, and it’s scanned and measured for starting the design and assembly of the roll cage.
The project is looking both companies as partners as well as students from the fields of engineering, business and industrial design with a strong interest in electric vehicles. The project offers an opportunity for applying a wide range of educational fields and competence areas of TUAS.
More information:
Ari Putkonen, Head of Education and Research, TUAS, ari.putkonen@turkuamk.fi, tel. +358 50 598 5815
Mika Seppänen, Project Manager, TUAS, mika.seppanen@turkuamk.fi, tel. +358 50 598 5698
Tomi Kalpio, Co-Owner and -Founder, Member of the Board, 3DTech Oy, tomi.kalpio@3dtech.fi, tel. +358 44 733 6101