UBC Supermileage Team – Superblog II

Looks as though some reader dubbed “The Only Fan” has hacked into our blog and edited a post.  More disturbing is the fact that this reader has been following us and taking photos of select team members (Kyle, methinks you have a stalker..).

I sit here and sift through my memories of the Engineering Open House.  Nothing unusual. *shudders*

I’ve always thought that I had a good sense of my surroundings or “Unagi” – as Ross puts it.  Let’s not get rattled now, Jason…your Unagi is superb.  This leads me to believe that we are dealing with a being that is highly skilled, a being which hides within the shadows, a being which treads as the water striders do, a being known as….. ninja.
Fortunately for us, our skill set goes beyond that of energy efficient designs and promoting sustainable methods, we are also excellent trackers.  We will get to the bottom of this! Rest assured.

In a way, I guess it is flattering to have such an enthusiastic follower.  Another “green” aficionado is a plus in my book!

-update on our progress: The body is almost there, the chassis is just about done, and the engine is on its way.  Photos will be up soon.

Happy Holidays

I’ve decided to throw together a list of skills you can obtain from being involved in Supermileage.  With interest from new members always a concern, I think it’s a good idea to let them know what skills they can gain from being involved in the project.  And of course, I feel it’s important to let you know what we can do.

The following is a list of our skill sets and capabilities:

1. Sketchy: Yes. We do that.  We know how to push the limits of both material use and design.  There is always the ideal “Plan 1″ and several less admirable backup plans.  Guess which one most often is used? Not only do we do this, but we seem to pull it off quite well.  Actually, we jokingly call it “Sketchy” but in reality it is “Calculated Risk”.  It may not seem like it, but much of what we do involves analysis and judgement.
2. Improvisation: Being poor university students working on a project supported by our own passion, money and generous sponsors means that we don’t have the most complete set of tools.  Where’s the hammer? (Answer: it went missing..) It doesn’t matter.  Just use that steel pipe.   Don’t have a clamp to hold that thing down?   We have duct tape, don’t we?
3. Safe and Injury free Workspace: I can say with confidence that injuries are few and far between.  Dropping the tap and die kit on my hand? ^[1] Nope.   Didn’t happen on Saturday.   Of course, we abide by Workplace BC regulation and wear appropriate PPE.  I actually hurt myself more reaching to get my coffee grinder in my room.  I wish I had a “grinding coffee orientation” like I’ve had machine shop and safety orientation…
4. Dance: A happy dance is required when you fit all your newly machined chassis parts together and they look like they will work.  Possible variants include:
   a) Chicken dance
   b) “mosh” influenced boogy
   c) a particularly silly walk (approved by the ministry, of course)
5. “Heavy” Lifting: How else do you think we move our lightweight mold for the car body?    Don’t worry, we know to lift with our backs.    Plus it’s more “big lifting” than “heavy lifting”….^[2]
6. Strategic Coffee Buying: In times of “composite” need, our coffee purchases and the corresponding stirring sticks increase quite significantly.   What would we do if that Starbucks closed down?
7. Use of Big Tools: (Or small tools to do big things) Sawzall?   YEA.   Cordless drill with a 1″ diameter drill to drill through.. aluminum?    YEA.
8. Reduced BOM Costs: Is that specialty part too difficult to find or expensive off the shelf in low quantities?  Design your own.  Or is it cheaper to buy on Ebay than custom make?

This list is still probably incomplete, but I am sure I will think of more in the coming weeks (after final exams, of course) since physical assembly and fabrication is starting to consume more time than part procurement and design.

[1] included for entertainment value only

[2] it’s a block of foam…

A quick update and thanks for those who came out for the UBC Engineering Open House today.   It was great to see an interest from the community as well as future engineering students.   The student teams were set up in Kaiser which allowed us to show off our new design.  Of course, since it’s Super Saturday still, Thomas was a trooper and stayed outside in the omnipresent Vancouver rain to sand the plug with the help of George.  The rest of us performed our very important duties inside the warm, dry building.   It’s fun being responsible and educating the community and potential engineering students about the project and sustainability.   I mean, we stand around and get to talk about what we are working on (who doesn’t like to talk about themselves, eh?).  Then we ninja food from key locations and furiously eat it before anyone sees us (and while our stomachs cry to the gods to fill them up).  Man, it’s hungering to stand around.

Nom nom nom

I think overall it was a pretty fun event and the people who showed up were given a good taste of UBC Engineering (as well as the famous Mondo Spider).   I am hoping we can increase our fanbase to actually be considered something more than ‘the fan”.  I would love to use plurals in that context for once.   I think it would be nice if Amanda wasn’t the only one running the fan club.  I mean, that’s just weird.

My only complaint about the day is that I had this odd feeling the entire time.  Do you ever get the feeling someone is watching you, but when you turn around nobody is there?  I know it’s just my head messing with me but it could be unsettling either way.  Oh well.

Until next time…

Documenting Supermileage at the Open House: 7 hours

Hacking into Superblog: 2 months

Being 200 pixels away from Kyle’s thoughts: priceless

8:05am Outside of Rusty Hut

It’s a rainy Saturday morning. I see a blur of a figure rushing towards CEME. He’s got a hurried pace…a flustered look that tells me he just woke up… lusciously wavy hair (gosh, he looks so rugged right now…) Why, it’s Kyle! He must be headed for the UBC Engineering Open House. Arriving two hours and ten minutes earlier than usual, the poor dear looks exhausted.

That’s the thing about this team-they are enormously dedicated to their work. On this particular Saturday they are devoting seven hours to enlightening students about fuel efficiency, mechanics and sustainability. And maybe a few tips on how to direct minions. Such incredible role models they are! I’m going to raise my future children to be just like them.

9:00am Kaiser

I’ve secured a secret perch on the second floor. Below is the bustle of engineers putting the finishing touches on their displays. Soon, the room fills with visitors eager for a taste of the engineering life. Where is Supermileage? I quickly scan the room. Nothing. Good thing I’ve got my radar. It tells me that they are in an enclosed space at two o’clock on the first floor.  For now I shall keep an eye out in case they wander out into the foyer.

11:05am Kaiser

My eyes are so tired from not blinking for two hours. But finally, success! I see Stephen, Jason and Kyle venture out of their display area. They stop to talk to a female engineer at a display, and Kyle stares intently into her eyes as he eats a cookie. I will have to chat with her later. They leave the building to check out the Mondo Spider. Its inventor is getting his own show on the Discovery Channel! Supermileage has been featured on Discovery too, you know. Just another way to promote their future-friendly project, technological savvy and nationally renowned genius.

Peek-a-boo!

12:15pm Kaiser, in the room next to Starbuck’s

It is both nerve-wracking and intimidating to be so close to the brilliant engineers of Supermileage. That is why I chose to start off by observing them through a crack in the doors. Stephen, Jason and Kyle are manning the display and it is incredible. There are artful posters detailing the history of the team, two laptops with competition photos and images of the digital model, the body of their last car, and two plaster models- one which is covered in threads. Many people are intrigued by this, and like to ask what the threads are for. To visualize the direction of airflow of course! Jason is especially skillful at explaining the wind tunnel testing. Several kids and their parents have stopped to take a look at their booth- more opportunities to inspire the little adults of the future!

3:00pm Kaiser, at the Supermileage display

Finally mustered the courage to get up close and “personal” with the Supermileage members. Words simply cannot describe the experience of finally seeing them in the flesh!

Closer...

And closer...

SO close that i could see the carbon fibre dust on Kyle's t-shirt!

Close call! My heart never raced so fast..

Well, enough excitement for today. Who knows when or where I’ll pop up next time (I like to keep you on your toes)! That said, it wouldn’t hurt to look over your shoulder once in a while…

Cheers,

The Only Fan

Patent UBCST 120412 – PressMaster 6000 (“stripped-down version of the PressMaster 9000 of course. But it’s hardware upgradeable”)

Claims:

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An assembly to align and press a bearing into an opening of generic diameter found in wheel/rim assemblies.  Said bearing assembly is comprised of

A support column, of any material, providing a stable surface to which said rim is suspended.

At least three clamps arranged in a manner whereby the force is equally distributed among the discs.  See Fig.1. Said clamps can consist of bar clamps or C-clamps.

Two precision machined discs transmit said clamping force to the bearing; depressing said bearing into opening of generic diameter.

2. A bearing alignment and press assembly of claim 1 whereby said force is transmitted to the bearing through an intermediate member.
3. A bearing alignment and press assembly of claim 1 wherein said clamps are administered one-by-one in a clockwise direction whereby reducing the strain induced in the unconventional counter clockwise direction.
4. A bearing alignment and press assembly of claim 2 wherein said member transmits the clamping force to the outer race of the bearing.  Said member may or may not be in direct contact with said machined disc and/or bearing.
5. A bearing alignment and press assembly of claim 3 wherein said member may or may not resemble a threading die.
6. In combination, said bearing is placed in said rim with opening of generic diameter; said intermediate member is aligned such that said clamping force acts upon the outer race of said bearing.
7. In combination of claim 6, said clamps are administered in a clockwise direction; transmitting said clamping force onto said precision machined disc.  Said precision machined disc transmits said force through said intermediate member.
8. In combination of claim 7, said intermediate member depresses said bearing into an opening of generic diameter found in wheel/rim assemblies.

Figure 1: Bearing alignment and press assembly

Figure 2: Clamping mechanism

In combination of claim 8 wherein said bearing is pressed into an opening of generic diameter found in wheel/rim assemblies, an unrequited high-five is administered. 

..Topic for a future post..
Babies: The new weight measurement standard

The frequency that I am asked what a day in Supermileage is like is increasing.   Today I have decided to give you a breakdown of a typical Super Saturday as of late.   This is a little different than it was a few months ago, since as you probably realize, the start of the academic year brings new minions team members.

It trickles down...

A Typical Day:

• 8am: Wake up.  Try to remember if I am late for work or if it’s the weekend yet. Yes. Thankfully it’s Saturday. Oh no! I don’t have anything for my minons to do!
• 9am: Finally awake after 2 cups of coffee and a shower. Look in my log book. Realize that I figured out during the week what I need to have the new members do. Also realize I have done some calculations wrong on the bus on my way home from work (I should have had a coffee!). I set that aside and look at some lolcats.
• 10am: Leave my dorm for the 10am meeting.  Jason, the Team Captain, said “Don’t be late!” in his group email, like usual.  Oh well.
• 10:15am: Show up at Rusty Hut.  Fifteen minutes late isn’t really that late.  Wen still isn’t there.
• TIME WARP: Time is lost. I have no idea why I spend so much time in Rusty.  I blame that black hole in (the top of) the anechoic chamber.  Dunno where that came from.  Anyways, I think I assign some design work to some new members and we have them help with whatever body work we have going on.  I spend some time explaining how the car works, and I take measurements of things I need for the design work / part procurement that I do during the week (It’s a great feeling to go home every day from designing stuff only to design even more stuff!).  Mostly though, I just walk around with my coffee mug and make obnoxious jokes and (at least recently) get other people to do work.. I mean, delegate tasks.  My life rocks.
• 3pm: Holy crap it’s 3pm!  Usually the new members trickle out of the building once they have exhausted whatever tasks they have to do for the day. We pack up our stuff. Wen misplaces the keys. We have to break into our own lockers to find the keys.  We discuss what else we need to do and upon watching Stephen actually gets the Megasquirt to WORK we get excited and join in a group high five. And so our lives are complete.
• 3:30pm: We have a Super Lunch in the infamous “Village”.  Donairs or Curry? Pretty much the same thing every time.  Some go for the Malaysian cuisine and if Wen is adventurous she gets a Mongolian dish.  Ahh. A long day of work complemented by a great meal.  All for under 7 dollars.
• 5:00pm: With our stomaches full, we usually head home.  Or on weeks that are not so full of midterms, we sometimes head out for some drinks and games. It can’t all be about work, right?

And so, my faithful followers, that is a typical day in Supermileage. It all starts with confusion, time gets lost somewhere and eventually we make some excellent breakthroughs and finish off with a group high five.  Don’t believe me?   Well, we might have photos next time to prove it.    If you still don’t believe it then you can see it first hand and help out!    We have a master in cutting corner reliefs in fibreglass (me) who is more than willing to show you his ways…

Fake Edit: Don’t forget to let us know what you think our car should be named!  I’ve added a Poll since I am worried Wen’s last post will eventually get buried.  So vote on what you like, or let us know if you have any ideas!

On a sunny, pleasant Saturday morning, a dozen of Supermileage members started working busily around a giant piece of alien looking foam piece. A professor drove by, unhappy to see his parking spot occupied; he frowned and drove away. “Ah, they are weird kids.” He thought to himself.

Ignoring the wondering looks from pedestrians, they kept working and working. About one and a half hour later, a few more equally strange looking pieces were sanded and finally assembled together.

When pieces of puzzles are brought together, everything will start to make sense. Here comes, our newest Urban Concept prototype for the upcoming vehicle !

Like all other newborns in the world, he was not exactly beautiful just yet. Our no name baby, standing helplessly amid the open space in the Land of Rusty, there are still wrinkles and uncleared dusts on his face.  Yet to those who worked hard during the process of delivery, it was a beautiful moment to witness.

The beginning of the story started from the The Centre for Advanced Wood Processing in UBC. That’s right, who would have thought of places that produce beautiful wood furniture could also generate funky molds for the car of future? In there, big chunks of foam pieces were shaped by the complex g-code generated from MasterCam and the almighty five-axis CNC machine, immediately accompanied by the hundreds of PSI from the immense Italian press, and endless clamping and gluing. A big thank you to Vincent, the centre’s Technical Facilities Supervisor, without you we would not have gotten this far, thank you!

Just as any great outcome requires great efforts, we expect many challenges ahead. Naming the new prototype, for one, is unprecedentedly difficult. Upon some intense brainstorming, our list of candidates include but are not limited to:

• Patriotism: Beaver, Maple
• My Personal Favorite: Fengler
• Physical Resemblance: Turtle, Bunny
• The Classic of Dilbert: Rollmaster 6000
• A Boat in Greek Mythology: Argo (and Jason)
• Some absurd Greek/Latino/Italian names in the attempt to imitate European teams

The list goes on and on…..

If you consider yourself a talented individual with great ideas to potential names of the vehicle, please do not hesitate to post a comment below. Once the name of your choice is chosen, the winner will be awarded an Ipod Shuffle!

Just joking. I guess I will end my first blog here, please stay tuned!

Hello!  What’s this? A blog you say?!
You’re darn right! We have been BUSY. And not just on this!  Expect more posts to come.  I think you will be excited to hear the news!