The University of Wolverhampton Racing Team (UWR) has set its sights on success at the prestigious Formula Student (FS) competition with the help of Moore & Wright metrology tools supplied by Bowers Group.

FS is a renowned international educational engineering competitions that aims to develop enterprising and innovative young engineers, as well as encourage more young people to take up a career in engineering. Organised by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), the event is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2023.

The competition places rigorous demands on participating teams, requiring them to design, construct, and race a single-seat formula-style race car. The process is one in which precision engineering plays a vital role in ensuring both optimal performance and safety of the vehicle.

As part of the annual event, the UWR team face the challenge of creating a car from scratch that not only meets rigorous performance standards, but also adheres to strict design and manufacturing tolerances. Students must demonstrate project management and innovative features within the parameters allowed. They must start with a concept and operate almost as a business, incorporating engineering design and validation, project management, hands-on manufacture and testing.

Bowers Group has been a valued sponsor of the UWR team for many years, lending its support to students pursuing careers in engineering. This collaboration has been significant in providing students with exposure to industry-standard instruments and an understanding of precision measurement principles.

Through its sponsorship, Bowers Group supplies both the UWR team and the School of Engineering with the tools needed to both maximise racing performance and enhance practical learning. These instruments mirror what professionals use, giving students a chance to gain first-hand experience that goes beyond theoretical knowledge. This support helps bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world applications.

Paul Bates, technical and business resource manager at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “The Moore & Wright tools available in our metrology suite offer hands-on experience for our students, including those in the FS project. It helps them understand precision measurement and the importance of accuracy. These tools play a significant role in our FS team’s daily work. They rely on them for accurate measurements, and it is notable that many team members have even purchased their own sets. This speaks volumes for the tools’ quality and reliability. It is great to see students carrying this practical knowledge into their future careers.”

Moore & Wright hand tools contribute to ensuring accuracy and precision during the car’s construction, providing reliable support as well as helping measure critical components, making sure they match the precise specifications in the design plans. Knowing that the brand is a trusted name for precision gives the team assurance as they work meticulously to construct the racing car.

The Moore & Wright digital caliper and digital micrometer provide UWR with versatile tooling that has assisted in a variety of projects during the build of the FS car, including checks to improve speed, handling and reliability.

The team uses the caliper to measure components, check brake discs, assess wheel alignment, verify engine machining, ensure safety cage integrity. It is also used to gauge wheel hub dimensions and ensure the accurate fit and finish of multiple components.

The caliper’s digital read-out eliminates the potential for human error, providing UWR with reliable measurements down to the decimal point. This particular level of precision allows the team to fine-tune its suspension set-up with confidence, giving a competitive edge when it comes to extracting the maximum performance from its FS car.

In the 2023 event, the UWR FS team displayed its dedication and hard work, securing an impressive 17th place out of the 64 universities in competition with a best dynamic event finish of fourth position in the acceleration category. This is the team’s second-best performance in seven years of competitions, and the best result since its 11th place finish in 2017. The commitment to innovation and collaboration was evident both on and off the track through meticulous engineering and considered design.