The NDSU Baja team finished in the middle of the pack during the SAE Baja competition at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York, June 9-12. A total of 98 teams took part in the competition.
The annual event is organized by SAE International for its student members, and features competitions that simulate real-world engineering design projects and related challenges. Engineering students design and build off-road vehicles to survive rough terrain.
The eight-member NDSU mechanical engineering team was led by seniors Jeremy Markstrom from Roseau, Minnesota; Logan Hanson from Thief River Falls, Minnesota; and Justin Neisius from Roseau, who designed the vehicle as part of their senior design project.
Other participating students included senior Robert Wanous from Brainerd, Minnesota; senior Ryan Erickson from Roseau; sophomore Cole Maxwell from Roseau; sophomore Jared Brinkman from Fosston, Minnesota; and senior Blake Thiesse from Brainerd, Minnesota.
According to Neisius, the team’s goal was to finish in the top half of the competing squads. The NDSU team ended 47th in acceleration, 58th in maneuverability, 51st in suspension and traction, 33rd in the hill climb and 57th in the endurance race.
“We were able to complete every event with the exception of the suspension and traction course,” Neisius said. “On our first attempt, we broke a heim joint on a lateral link on the rear suspension after going over some railroad ties. On our next attempt, we got stuck in a mud pit, but made it a bit farther than our first attempt.”
The team also had breakdowns to overcome in the endurance test, taking three pit stops to fix heim joints or lateral links and the left rear tire that came off its rim. “We rolled across the finish line with a bent lateral link that caused our tire to be tilted inward,” Neisius said.
Markstrom added that the team effort and the competition are directly linked to a real-world engineering experience. “In order to be successful and have a competitive vehicle, the team has to function like a business by having different people in charge of the technical side as well as the business side,” he said. “The SAE Baja team is always looking for team members from various majors. It is a lot of fun and a great resume builder.”
Hanson said the event showcases the students’ skills and puts NDSU’s engineering program on national display. “Competitions like these are a reflection of the respective schools and, although our 2016 team did well, we feel like NDSU is only a few small steps away from producing a top tier car in the very near future,” he said.
Final overall results, which include points for a sales presentation and design evaluation, are not yet available.
SAE International, which was established as the Society of Automotive Engineers, is a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and technical professionals in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries.
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