NEWS & PR

Jubilee Clips on the Fast Track

06 July 2006

Birmingham University’s School of Engineering participates each year in the International Formula Student Small Racing Car Design & Build Competition. The competition, designed to give students hands-on experience of engineering, marketing, management, budgeting and presentation activities, takes place three times a year in the USA, Europe and Australia.

Again L Robinson & Co (Gillingham) Limited are sponsoring the project by supplying a selection of Jubilee® clips. Robinson’s are also providing special Flexidriver tools to assist with adjustment of the Jubilee® clips; the tools incorporate a 7mm A/F socket head and feature a flexible shaft which permits access to awkwardly placed clips. These dedicated tools also help to avoid cuts to both hands and hoses.

The team from Birmingham competes under the name of UB Racing and is required to design and build a high performance Formula style racing car, with a permitted maximum 610cc engine running on unleaded fuel. Students are assessed on a full curriculum of activities including estimating cost of production for 1000 vehicles and the final evaluation constitutes a 20 lap drive against the clock which is designed to test endurance.

After months of hard work on the part of 38 mechanical and electrical engineering students, this year’s car improves on the previous model in weight saving measures, better drivability and all round reliability. After the launch the car will be put through its paces during intensive testing sessions at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in Leicester where the team will take part in the Formula Student competition from 5 – 8 July. The car will be raced against 80 other teams representing universities in 18 countries.