Blog Posts

The Need for Speed and Quality with Toray Advanced Composites Tooling Prepreg

7 October 2021

Racing competitions often begin off the tracks and in the shop where a racecar is under constant modification to develop the most competitive aerodynamic car possible. For the engineering students of the Michigan State University (MSU) Formula Racing Team, the pandemic threw a wrench into their race against time by shutting down their shop in March 2020. With only 1.5 months of limited access to their composite manufacturing shop, the team was able to complete their monocoque redesign for the Formula SAE competition with the support of Toray Advanced Composites. As a sponsor and supporter of the MSU Formula Racing Team, Toray Advanced Composites sped in to support the team with AmberTool® and TC275-1 epoxy-based component prepreg just in time for the race in July at Michigan International Speedway.

 “Toray's generous donation of prepreg and fast delivery time allowed us to build the lightest and stiffest monocoque our team has ever manufactured," Anissa Sant, Project Manager, Michigan State Formula Racing Team.

 

Using the large-scale tooling prepreg material, the team completed the redesign under the significant time pressure of the impending competition’s official date. The exceptional handleability of Toray AmberTool® HX40 composite tooling prepreg and the TC275-1 allowed the team to create the complex shape of the monocoque. This resulted in the most aerodynamic car constructed to date in the history of MSU Formula Racing and placing 4th overall in the competition in July. The MSU Formula Racing Team also achieved their best-recorded lap time of 46.295 seconds and placed 3rd for the Pittsburgh Shootout Competition.

Toray Advanced Composite is honored to fuel the passion for engineering and racing by continuing support of the Spartan students of the Michigan State Formula SAE Racing Team. Congratulations, MSU Formula Racing Team. Go Green. Go white. Go fast!

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