Formula Student puts plastics in the fast lane

If you loved soapbox derby as a child, you could find yourself at 'Formula Student'. Once a year, students from all over the world meet at Germany’s world-famous Hockenheim Ring (Germany) to compete against each other in single-seater race cars made of plastic.

Perhaps the biggest difference to the soapbox race, apart from the more professional construction of the cars, is that the winner is not necessarily the fastest. A number of other criteria are taken into account such as "skills and spirit". In other words, in addition to the performance of the cars in various disciplines such as cornering, acceleration and energy consumption, the jury also evaluates the design of the cars, the teams' cost planning and sales presentation.

The plastics industry and its applications are fundamental for the engineers to achieve victory. For their purposes, plastic has a clear advantage: it is lighter than metals, does not rust and requires no lubrication or maintenance. Igus is aware of these advantages and supports the students with its "young engineers support (yes)" initiative by providing free samples, sponsorship and advice. The company is already well-versed when it comes to automotive vehicle parts. Anja Görtz-Olscher, Public Relations Manager at Igus, gives an insight: "Every second bearing that we manufacture ends up in a car. The Formula Student race cars also benefit from this experience."

Not only the material properties, but also the diverse production techniques for plastic have advantages for the students. As the racing cars and their interiors are custom-made, with many parts containing complex geometries the engineers benefit from various cutting-edge technologies. SLS (selective laser sintering), 3D printing and rapid prototyping make it possible to manufacture the parts individually and cost-effectively.

In addition to Igus, many other companies such as BASF and Sintratec support the students in their preparation for and participation in Formula Student. For example, BASF makes its laboratories available for crash tests and provides advice with its portfolio of engineering plastics and polyurethanes. This results in exterior applications made of high-performance plastics or interior components such as the steering wheel. However, close contact with the plastics industry is not only beneficial for students withing Formula Student. Companies also gain valuable networking opportunities, as the automotive industry is often an important customer sector with which they can deepen their contacts. Another positive aspect for the companies: They can position themselves to students as an attractive and interesting employer.

Igus combines the advantages for the students with those for the company: "From a professional point of view, the students have the opportunity to get to know Igus as part of their final theses, practical semesters or internships. Former Formula Student members are already working for us today. Of course, the students of today are also the potential customers of tomorrow, for example when they work in design or development. They can take their experience and knowledge of lubrication-free plastic components with them and apply it directly," says Anja Görtz-Olscher.

In her eyes, there is a further advantage: "This collaboration offers us a great opportunity to bring the topic of plastic bearings to universities, as bearings made of steel and metal are still very present in mechanical engineering teaching. After their initial positive experiences with our plain bearing technology, the students also tried out our linear guides and our filaments for the 3D printing of wear parts."

Today, Formula Student is much more than just a soapbox derby. In 2024, around 3,000 students from 20 nations will take part and compete in the various disciplines - this year purely electrically! Vehicles with combustion engines last competed in 2023.

Cooperation between students and plastics companies is an integral and important part of Formula Student. Both sides benefit from the cooperation and advance the mobility of the future. Without plastics, both the pioneering racing cars on the track and current vehicle models on the road would look very different and weigh a ton more!