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Introduction:
The aspect of suspension failure during a drop test will be analyzed. This is an important test to simulate due to possibilities during the ASME competition. The vehicle could hit obstacles or go off jumps during the competition so it is necessary to collect data and ensure that the vehicle will withstand the forces being applied.
Method/Approach:
For the drop test, the car will be at a specific controlled height using a tape measure and then the wall will be marked with tape to have consistency when testing. This test will determine if the car can withstand a 1.5ft drop which is one of the requirements it needs to meet. Before the car is fully assembled the chassis will be weighed to see if it meets the requirement of weighing less than 8 pounds. To find the weight of the chassis a scale will be used.
Pictures of the car before the drop test:
Drop Test:
Pictures after the drop test:
Summary of testing:
The four tests that were performed on the RC Baja car were the drop test, front impact test, suspension loading test and the chassis weight test. The first drop test the car was unable to survive the 1.5 ft. fall. After the team reprinted the a-arms in a stronger material and on a higher quality 3-D printer the car was able to survive the fall the second time around. When it came to the front impact test the car performed very well it survived the impact at a speed of about 7.5 mph. Next came the suspension loading test, the suspension was able to survive 15 lbs. of force being placed on it. Last came the chassis weight test, the chassis of the car needed to be less than 8 lbs. after the test was conducted the chassis ended up weighing 3.5 lbs which was well under the requirement.
Results from testing:
The results from completing the drop test was that the car failed. Both of the right side a-arms broke and the car was not able to drive. The a-arms will be reprinted in a stronger material and the team will make sure that the new a arms are printed in higher quality than the first ones. The team will also be redoing the drop test until the car can survive the drop from 1.5 ft. The second drop test was more successful because the car was able to survive the drop. The car was also able to survive the front impact test easily which was the second test that was conducted. The third test went very well too the cars suspension was able to handle being loaded with 15 lbs. of force. The last test was weighing the chassis, the chassis ended up weighing half of the required weight limit. The team was very pleased with how the RC Baja car came out. After minor adjustments and the a-arms being reprinted the car passed every requirement with ease.
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