University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Society of Automotive Engineers

Mini Baja Team

2009 Design Report

SAE Mini Baja Wisconsin Competition, June 11-14, 2009

Vehicle Number 22

UW-Platteville 2009 Mini Baja Team Design Report

Brendan Behrens
Team Captain

Kyle Droessler
Co-Captain
Copyright 2007 SAE International

rigidity, weight, and operator ergonomics. The number

one priority in the chassis design was driver safety. With
the help of the 2009 Baja SAE Competition Rules and
Finite Element Analysis (FEA), design assurance was
able to take place.

ABSTRACT
The Society of Automotive Engineers sponsors
competitions that challenge aspiring engineers to create
a miniature off-road vehicle. The SAE Mini Baja
competition objective is to design and fabricate a
prototype vehicle that could be manufactured for
consumer sale. The University of Wisconsin Platteville
(UWP) has accepted the challenge to participate in this
competition. An aspect of this competition is to compose
a design documentation package that creates an
overview of the vehicles construction elements. The
UWP Mini Baja team has created this report to
describe their design.

DESIGN
The main components of the frame are broken into two
groups: the chassis and the roll cage. The roll cage is
made up of the RRH, RHO, FBM, LC. The chassis is
made up of LBD, LFS, SIM, FAB, and FLC (See page
11, the Acronym list, for member clarification).
Material
1020 DOM was chosen for the roll cage because of its
high toughness and ductility. A very tough material is
important in a roll cage because in the event of impact,
such as a rollover, the roll cage needs to absorb as
much energy as possible to prevent the roll cage
material from fracturing. 4130 was chosen for the
chassis because it has structural properties that provide
a low weight to strength ratio. 4130 is a chromium
molybdenum alloy steel that has controllable properties.
Attributes to 4130 include corrosion resistance and the
ability to maintain a Bainite micro-structure after welding.
This prevents the area around a weld from becoming
overly brittle.

INTRODUCTION
The purpose of designing and manufacturing a Mini
Baja car was to create a prototype recreational off-road
vehicle that could provide a fun, safe, and reliable
experience for a weekend off-road vehicle enthusiast. In
order to accomplish this task, different design aspects of
a Mini Baja vehicle were analyzed, and certain
elements of the car were chosen for specific focus.
There are many facets to an off-road vehicle, such as
the chassis, suspension, steering, drive-train, and
braking, all of which require thorough design
concentration. The points of the car that the University
of Wisconsin Platteville decided to specifically focus on
were the chassis, drive-train, and suspension. The most
time and effort went into designing and implementing
these components of the vehicle because it was felt that
they most dramatically effect the off-road driving
experience. During the entire design process, consumer
interest through innovative, inexpensive, and effective
methods was always the primary goal.

1 inch diameter tube with a thicker wall was used instead

of 1.5 inch diameter tube with a thinner wall for
manufacturability purposes. Although the thinner wall,
1.5 inch diameter tube would be slightly lighter than the
thicker wall, 1 inch diameter tube, it would have been
more material and more difficult to weld.
Safety
Roll cage safety features were first implemented in
accordance with the 2009 Baja SAE Competition
Rules, which served as a baseline. The first primary
safety standard focused on during design was
maintaining a minimum of 6 inches vertical distance from
the drivers head to the bottom of the RHO and a 3 inch
clearance between the rest of the body and the vehicle
roll cage. These dimensions created a roll cage
envelope that was safe for the driver. After the roll cage

FRAME DESIGN
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the chassis is to encapsulate all
components of the car, including a driver, efficiently and
safely. Principal aspects of the chassis focused on
during the design and implementation included driver
safety, suspension and drive-train integration, structural
1

envelope was created, the next aspect addressed during

baseline design was roll cage structural integrity. Roll
cage structural integrity guidelines can be found in the
2009 Baja SAE Competition Rules section 3, Roll
Cage, Systems, and Drivers Equipment. All 2009 Baja
SAE Competition Rules guidelines were implemented
throughout the entire frame.

across the front cross member at 135 degrees with

respect to the top of the roll cage seemed to achieve the
highest stress with the smallest load, and would be
similar to a forward flip landing on the front of the roll
cage. After some trial and error, a maximum distributed
load of 80 lbs/in (1215.20 lbs total) was determined to
cause a stress of approximately 47,800 psi in one of the
1020 steel members. This means that it would take
approximately 1215 lbs of load on the weakest member
of the roll cage to cause a failure in the roll cage, as
seen in Figure 8.

Once the baseline requirements were met, other safety

design points were implemented. The chassis was
additionally designed to give the occupant extra space
and protection with curved vertical supports and extra
lateral bridge supports, which can be seen in Figure 1.
These supports tie the right and left sides of the car
together, increasing structural integrity and reducing the
chance of driver ejection during roll-overs. To further
improve the roll cage safety and verify its structural
integrity, finite element analysis was completed on the
roll cage.

The results from these simulations are accurate for the

type and amount of loading that was applied to the
known material and geometry. However, these loading
scenarios generally do not exactly represent an actual
rollover crash. To accurately depict a rollover incident,
dynamic loading would have to be used to simulate the
types of impact loading that would occur during an actual
rollover. It would be very difficult to accurately model
this event without known data gathered from an actual
rollover. This data could be gathered using strain
gauges attached to the frame of the vehicle. The results
gathered from the FEA illustrate that the frame
theoretically will not fail in a rollover until there is
approximately 1215 lbs of force on the weakest member
of the roll cage. The FEA results show a design that
meets the expectations set for this chassis. With the
data collected from the FEA simulations, the roll cage
was found to have a theoretical factor of safety of
approximately 1.87.

Roll Cage FEA Safety Analysis

Simulated loads within a computer program were placed
on a wire frame model of the roll cage at critical points to
simulate the amount of force that the vehicle would
undergo from its own weight and a driver in the event of
a rollover.
To conduct a finite element analysis of the chassis, an
existing chassis design was uploaded from the computer
program SolidWorks to a finite element analysis
program known as Algor. The loading performed by
the Algor FEA software modeled an end over end
rollover. Different loads at various angles were applied
at points on the top of the roll cage to simulate that
scenario, as seen in Figures 2 through 7. The weight of
the vehicle itself was assumed to be 450 pounds. Then
200 more pounds were added to the vehicle weight to
simulate the weight of a driver. The combined values
were used to model the loads exerted on the roll cage.
The results show that with the total load of 650 pounds,
distributed across the top of the roll cage, the frame will
not fail. The maximum stress during the simulation was
found to be about one half the value of the roll cages
material yield strength. The maximum stresses and
displacements are shown in Table 1.

Safety Harness
A five point racing harness attached to the most rigid
members of the roll cage was utilized to ensure the
maximum amount of driver safety restraint. Attaching
the seat belts to the most rigid and structural chassis
components guarantees reliability of the seat belt under
the extreme forces possible in a collision. Using a quickrelease lever style seat belt clasp gives the driver the
ability to get out of the vehicle in a safe amount of time in
the event of an accident. SAE requires that a driver be
able to evacuate a Mini Baja car in less than five
seconds. The safety restraints provided in the car will be
sufficient for keeping a driver safe in the event of a
collision, while still allowing the driver to escape in the
required amount of time.

Location of Load Relative to Roof of the Chassis

135 Deg

90 Deg

45 Deg

25580.9

8644.76

11923

Max Displacement (in)

0.142465
Table 1: FEA safely results

0.051976

0.111683

Max Stress (psi)

Suspension and Drive-Train Integration

Integrating the suspension and drive-train components
into the chassis was a crucial part of making an effective
off-road vehicle. To complete the goal of integrating
those components efficiently and effectively, all the
components were solid modeled in the computer aided
modeling program SolidWorks. After solid modeling
was complete, all the components restrictions and
requirements were considered. A few key drive-train
requirements to be included in the chassis design
consisted of the distance the primary and secondary
clutches needed to be apart and keeping the center of
gravity of the vehicle as low as possible. A few
important suspension requirements considered during

In order to simulate a worst case scenario, the yield

stresses of the two different materials on the Mini Baja
car roll cage were found. Determining the yield strength
of the roll cage is an important aspect, because once the
materials begin to yield, the roll cage will lose much of its
structural integrity. The 1020 steel had a yield strength
of 47,863 psi, and the 4130 Chromoly had a yield
strength of 170,000 psi. A loading configuration that
would produce the highest stresses with the smallest
load was then determined. Applying a distributed load
2

frame has a 555 ft-lbf/degree theoretical torsional rigidity

rating. It has been concluded that this meets
expectation, and shows that the vehicles frame is
structurally suitable for the terrain it has to withstand.

the design of the chassis consisted of the angle at which

the shocks needed to be mounted, the distance the Aarms needed to be mounted apart, and the anti-dive
angle in which the front and rear A-arms needed to be
mounted. Once all requirements were compiled, the
suspension and drive-train were integrated into the
chassis design.

Weight
Keeping the frame as light as possible was a top priority.
When power is limited, vehicle weight is a large factor in
vehicle performance. The frame is one of the largest
and heaviest components of the car, and which is why
special attention was placed on the vehicles frame
weight. The strategy utilized to minimize weight
consisted of determining defined goals for the chassis
and employing the correct material in the best places to
accomplish those goals. Once baseline safety design
requirements were met, FEA aided the material decision
making process. FEA specifically helped determine
whether a member was under high or low stresses, in
the scenarios discussed previously, making the chassis
design process efficient and effective. Low stress
chassis members were made out of 0.049 inch wall
thinness 4130 Chromoly, and higher stress chassis
members were made from 0.065 inch wall thickness
4130 Chromoly. Chromoly was chosen because of its
weight reduction capability and beneficial material
properties, as was stated previously. Through
accurately determining stresses on the chassis in
different scenarios, weight reduction was able to be
maximized through material selection and placement.
The final weight of the chassis was measured to be 85
pounds.

Another aspect of the chassis that was considered

during the integration of the suspension was chassis
deflection due to forces exerted through the suspension.
To accurately minimize deflection in the chassis, FEA
analysis was conducted and light weight Chromoly
tubular members were added where the deflection was
greatest. The simulated loads conducted through FEA
helped determine where and how additional members
should be added to the chassis. The method for
simulating loads on the suspension points using FEA
was similar to that of the rollover analysis, as previously
described in the chassis safety section.
Impact loading was simulated on the shock mounting
points, at the angle in which the shocks were going to be
mounted, until a member in the chassis reached its yield
stress. Additional members were added to create the
best combination of weight addition and structural
rigidity. Each rear shock mount was able to withstand
800 lbf of loading before yielding, as seen in Figures 9
and 10. Each front shock mount was able to withstand
485 lbf of loading before yielding, as seen in Figures 11
and 12. Based on the information presented above, the
strength of these mounting points will be enough to
withstand the forces exerted on them in extreme off-road
conditions. Withstanding forces that simulate extreme
conditions ensures rigidity and reliability in normal offroad conditions. Also, as a result of steel having an
infinite fatigue life, these tests were able to verify that
under normal loading, the fatigue limit of the material will
not be exceeded. It is well known that 90% of all
material failures are due to fatigue, which is why it is so
important that the stresses exerted on the chassis
suspension mounts do not exceed their fatigue limit.

Operator Ergonomics
The ergonomics of a cockpit can noticeably affect the
quality of an off-road vehicle driving experience. This is
why operator ergonomics was a factor that was
considered in the design of the frame cockpit. The
cockpit, consisting of the area in the roll cage where the
driver sits to operate the vehicle, was designed for
maximum comfort and ease of vehicle entrance and exit.
The first aspect of the chassis that was designed around
ergonomics was the firewall angle. The angle of the
firewall, which inherently limits the amount an operator
can lean back while driving, was set to 19 degrees,
which is just less than the maximum angle required by
the 2009 Mini Baja SAE Competition Rules. Letting
the driver lean further back gives a more relaxed position
to drive the car. As the rollover FEA analysis shows,
there were no detrimental effects to structural integrity
found in leaning the firewall back for ergonomic
purposes. The next ergonomic improvement made to
the chassis was side wall height. While still remaining
within the 2009 Mini Baja SAE Competition Rules, the
side wall height was set low enough to create easy
entrance and exit, while still letting the driver remain
safely encapsulated in the vehicle. The last specific
ergonomic consideration made during chassis design
was the decision to position the steering support in a
way that makes it easy for people of all sizes to
comfortably sit in the vehicle, while still being able to
effectively support the steering column and house the

Structural Rigidity
Overall frame structural rigidity is important to enhance
the capabilities of an off-road vehicle. To measure the
overall frame rigidity, torsional rigidity analysis was
conducted through FEA. The objective of the torsional
rigidity analysis was to manipulate the chassis design
within the FEA software to increase the amount of torque
per degree of chassis deflection. By theoretically
increasing this value, the actual vehicle could have the
ability to be more torsionally rigid, making it able to
withstand more intensive terrain without failure. To
achieve this analysis, a simulated torque of 70 ft-lbf was
placed on the back of the car, while the front of the car
remained fixed, as seen in Figure 13. With the degree of
rotation data collected from the FEA software, the torque
was divided by the degree of rotation, creating a
torsional rigidity value for the frame. The angle rotated
under the 70 ft-lbf of torque was found to be 0.126
degrees, as seen in Figure 14. The UWP Mini Baja car
3

dashboard. The steering support remains out of the way

of drivers knees and additionally makes it easier to enter
and exit the vehicle.

BODY AND COMPOSITES

OBJECTIVES
The purpose of the body is to prevent debris from
entering the vehicle, with the intent of protecting the
driver and the vehicles components. The seat was
designed to support the driver comfortably and safely
while they are operating the vehicle.

Manufacturability
All design work for the UWP Mini Baja frame was done
using SolidWorks. Using this program to produce a
three dimensional model allowed easy revision of prebuild designs, and gave design team members a visual
picture of what the frame would look like. After the
design of the frame was finalized, a list of required
support members was created and exported to BendTech, allowing easy bending and fitting of various
tubular frame components.

DESIGN
The UWP Mini Baja cars body was kept very light
through the use of HDPE plastic and fiberglass.
Body Panels
The body panels were made out of .080 inch thick HDPE
(High-Density Polyethylene) plastic. HDPE plastic is a
very light material that has desirable properties for a
body panel. HDPE Plastic has a tensile strength of
4,600psi, shear strength of 3,380 psi, and it takes 4,570
psi to cause a 10% deflection in the material. These
properties also make the body panels more highly
puncture resistant. The HDPE panels provide the
properties necessary to protect the driver and vehicle
components from rocks and other debris. When the
panels were integrated into the car, the panels were
recessed into the chassis to provide visibility to the
chassis members, making the car aesthetically pleasing.
Dzus clips are utilized to affix the body panels to the
vehicle. Dzus clips allow for the effortless removal of all
body panels, providing access to all parts of the car.

Tube Bending
To increase manufacturability, many bends were used
as opposed to miters. By implementing bends into the
design of the frame, the number of cuts and welds were
decreased. Decreasing the number of cuts and welds
lowers the production cost and increases overall chassis
strength. For example, by using more bends, a CNC
tubing bender could be used during manufacturing, in
place of hand welded miter joints, reducing man-hours
and production costs. All bends were designed to be
made using a tube bender fitted with a 9-inch diameter
die, which would eliminate costly tooling changes from
the manufacturing process.
Mounts
All suspension mounts for the chassis were cut from
0.1875 inch cold rolled plate steel, using a CNC laser
cutter. The 0.1875 inch cold rolled plate steel was
chosen to give all mounts sufficient strength and
durability while still allowing the chassis to remain light.
Common materials throughout the manufacturing
process eliminate costly and unique inventories,
therefore lower the production cost.

Hood and Dashboard

The hood and dashboard of the car is made of E glassmat and polyester resin. E glass-mat is used because it
is relatively inexpensive and provides the necessary
properties to create an optimal hood and dashboard for
the vehicle. E glass-mat has very good strength in all
directions, compared to a uni or bi directional fabric. E
glass mat has short and very strong fibers. Using the
equation in Figure 15, the hood and dashboard was
calculated to have 66,000 psi of tensile strength. This
strength ensures the durability of the panels in all offroad conditions. The hood and dashboard, like the body
panels, are held on by Dzus clips, which allow for easy
access to all of the components in the front of the car.

Welding
All welds on the UWP Mini Baja vehicle were made
using a gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process. All
welds used 1/16 inch 2% thoriated tungsten ER, 70-S2
filler rod, and pure argon shielding gas. The GTAW
process was selected because it provided the best
control of heat affected zones while also reducing
internal stress in the frame. ER 70-S2 filler rod was
selected it order to allow the weld to flex slightly without
cracking. Also ER 70-S2 has sufficient oxidizers to
make welding easier. Pure argon was used to increase
arc control. Before any joints were welded, all
connected members were purged with pure argon to
prevent scaling and oxidization on inner surfaces which
would reduce the strength of the welds. All joints were
ground and de-burred inside and outside of the joint prior
to welding to ensure there would be no contamination
during the process.

Seat
The seat in this car was also designed to be very light
weight. This was achieved by making a small seat out of
fiberglass and having a detached headrest mounted on
the fire wall. Many teams use a full size racing seat,
made of aluminum. Aluminum racing seats give the
driver very good support but, they are very heavy. The
fiberglass seat was designed to provide the same, if not
better, support than an aluminum racing seat, while
being substantially lighter. This was done by creating
lumbar support in the seat and shaping the seat to be
generally ergonomic for people of all sizes. The seat,
like the hood, was made using E glass-mat and
polyester resin and has the same properties and
strength as the hood. Mounting bolts on a plate were
4

fiber-glassed into the seat for easy mounting into the

chassis. Ribs and creasing on the edges of the seat
were utilized to make the seat mechanically strong
enough to support all drivers able to operate the vehicle.
The seat implemented in the UWP Mini Baja car
provides a good combination of weight reduction and
ergonomics.

be 10 inches. To achieve this height and implement the

shock as effectively as possible, the angle of the tangent
line at the 10 inch articulation point determined the
shock angle required. Greater articulation in the front
was implemented to overcome aggressive terrain during
approach. The 30 degrees of front shock angle also
gave a good combination of a stiff and soft ride. It is
important to have that characteristic, because it enables
the vehicle to handle better in rigorous maneuverability
situations, while still allowing the vehicle to be operated
comfortably.

SUSPENSION DESIGN
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the suspension is to improve the
stability and comfort of the vehicle through a variety of
terrain. The main focus of the UWP Mini Baja cars
suspension was to create an overall good performing
suspension system that could perform in all terrains
equally.

Adjustability
The front A-arms are very adjustable. An owner can
adjust caster and camber very easily on the vehicle.
The heim joints on the top A-arm, towards the inside of
the car, make caster adjustments possible. A threaded
joint on the wheel end of the top arms gives an operator
the opportunity to adjust camber. The arms were
designed to have zero camber gain throughout the
motion of the suspension cycle. This was designed by
setting the two A-arm planes from the frame joint to the
knuckle joint parallel. Zero camber gain is a feature on
the vehicle that allows the most tire surface area to be
contacting the ground in any suspension position.

DESIGN
Overall Suspension
The static ride of the vehicle was designed to be 13
inches high. Once a driver is positioned in the vehicle
for operation, the suspension will sit at an optimal 12
inch ride height. This height was chosen for a
combination of desirable ground clearance while
maintaining a low center of gravity. This combination
was necessary to keep this off-road vehicle versatile in
all terrain. The ground clearance gives the vehicle the
ability to overcome high rocks, hills, and bumps. The
lower center of gravity will give it an ability to handle
better in tight maneuvering situations at high rates of
speed.

A-arm Material and Structural Integrity

The front A-arms are constructed of 0.065 inch wall
thickness, 1 inch diameter and 0.75 inch diameter 4130
round Chromoly tube. This material was chosen
because of its strength to weight properties. Finite
element analysis was conducted on the A-arms,
simulating the maximum loads an A-arm would ever see.
Under maximum loading, and with the addition of crosssectional braces, the A-arms performed with minimum
deflection and no yielding, as seen in Figure 16.

Front Suspension
The front A-arms were designed to be as long as
possible to get a suspension ratio of 2:1, improve
suspension response, and to have the greatest vehicle
stability. These A-arms give the vehicle a front track
width of 56 inches. The suspension ratio signifies the
number of inches the wheel travels vertically compared
to the number of inches the shock compresses. The 2:1
ratio was chosen because it gave the best combination
of a soft and stiff ride. The ratio is able to do this
through shock efficiency. As the suspension ratio gets
closer to 1:1 the more effective the shock, creating a
stiffer ride. As the suspension ratio surpasses 2:1, the
shock effectiveness gets exponentially smaller, giving
the A-arms the ability to move more freely, creating a
softer ride. Another aspect of the front suspension that
affects the shock effectiveness and ride comfort is the
shock angle. The front shocks are mounted 30 degrees
from vertical. As the shock angle becomes greater, the
less effective the shock is and the softer the ride will be.
The greater the shock angle, the greater the articulation
capability, to a certain point, and the stiffer the ride will
be. For the front suspension, a compromise between
shock effectiveness, articulation height and ride comfort
had to be made. Shock effectiveness was slightly
compromised so articulation height could be greater and
the ride comfort could be a combination of soft and stiff.
The articulation height of the suspension was selected to

Ground Clearance
The front lower arms were also designed for maximum
ground clearance. A bend three quarters of the distance
of the A-arm from the chassis creates extra ground
clearance under the A-arms. The increased ground
clearance in the front gives the vehicle an ability to travel
on a wider variety of terrain that may be more intensive.
Shock Mounting
Shock towers were added to the chassis to achieve the
correct shock angle, and increase the shock length for
greater shock travel possibility. An adjustable shock
tower brace was added to increase support of the shock
tower under loading. FEA was conducted to verify
minimal deflection under loading by the shock, as stated
in the chassis section under drive-train and suspension
integration. The adjustability of the shock tower brace
aids in the tensioning of the shock towers and the
accessibility to the front hood of the car, where various
components are housed.
Anti-dive
An anti-dive angle of 10 degrees was set for the front
suspension. This angle increases ease of handling and
5

the possibility of yielding. Single link top A-arms were

able to be utilized after analysis found that half of the
forces acting on the bottom A-arms are acting on the top
A-arms during normal suspension cycles. Once this
discovery was made, drive-train integration became
easier and material weight was able to be saved.

improves comfort in aggressive terrain by making the

shocks effective in all three axis. This angle can be
seen in the chassis solid model pictured in Figure 1.
Rear Suspension
The rear suspension was more difficult to design, on the
basis that the drive-train components needed to be
integrated into it. The rear suspension was designed to
accommodate a slightly lesser track width than that of
the front suspension. The rear track width was designed
to be 55 inches wide and create a slight over-steer in
tight cornering situations, which allows for easier
maneuverability at higher speeds. Many of the same
principles were utilized in designing the rear suspension
as the front suspension. The objective and reason for
keeping the A-arms as long as possible was the same
for both the front and rear suspension. The 2:1 ratio was
also maintained in the rear suspension as it was in the
front suspension, for the same reasons. A suspension
geometric aspect that was different between the front
and the rear suspension was the shock angle. Rear
suspension articulation was not as much of a priority as
it was with the front suspension. Having a high
articulation limit for the front was seen to be more
important than having it for the back. This was the case,
because of drive-train CV joint limitations and the lesser
necessity for articulation in the back. High front
suspension articulation is more important than high rear
suspension articulation because the front suspension
needs that extra articulation during an approach into
rugged terrain, where as the rear does not. Since this is
the case, the shocks where mounted at their most effect
angle, which is within 10 degrees of vertical. The
majority of the forces are acting in the vertical direction,
and this is why the shock is most effective when it is
mounted as close to vertical as possible. Setting the
rear shock vertical was also more beneficial in the rear
because it allows the shock to dampen the extra weight
in the rear to create a more comfortable ride. With that
rear suspension configuration, the same balance of a
stiff and soft ride was able to be created to match the
front.

Anti-dive
An anti-dive angle of 5 degrees was set for the rear
suspension. It is important to have a more aggressive
angle in the front than it is to have in the rear. This is the
case, because the front suspension needs to have more
dampening along that axis to create a smoother ride and
prevent diving after bumps and jumps. It was concluded
that it would be effective to give the rear suspension the
ability to react along that axis too, creating a more
comfortable, but still aggressive ride.
Shock Absorbers
The Fox Podium X shocks are both externally and
internally adjustable. The compression rate can be
adjusted externally by a dial. The shocks can also be
adjusted by changing the internal components. The
Podiums have a simple shim stack design. Changing
the diameter, thickness, and order of the shims will
change how the shock will react with compression and
rebound rates. The setup can also be drastically
changed by replacing the piston. The diameter of the
holes on the piston and the size of the bleed grooves on
either the compression or rebound side of the piston can
change how the shock reacts. The shocks can also be
fine-tuned by adjusting the nitrogen pressure in the
remote canister.
With the help of a shock dynamometer, the shocks were
set-up taking into consideration several factors, as seen
in Figure 18. The front shock absorbers were setup
differently than the rear shocks. Mini Baja cars seem to
have the tendency to nose dive off of bump and jumps,
so to further prevent that phenomenon, the front shocks
were setup with a stiffer high speed compression rate
than the rear shocks. The rebound rate was set so the
shocks react fast enough that they are fully extended
before the next bump, but not so fast that the car
bounces after landing a hard jump. Low speed
compression adjustment is also important for proper
shock setup. Through the low speed compression
adjustment, the shocks were setup to allow the vehicle
to slightly roll while cornering, but not to the point where
the vehicle rolls so much that it lifts the wheels off the
ground using the majority of travel through the low speed
compression adjustment. Also, by adjusting the low
speed compression, the vehicle will be very controlled
over small bumps, making for a smoother ride.

Adjustability
The top rear A-arms allow for camber adjustment of the
rear tires. There is zero degree camber gain throughout
the rear suspension travel, as was the case for the front
suspension, for the same reasons. Caster adjustability
was concluded to be unnecessary in the rear.
A-arm Material and Structural Integrity
The rear A-arms are constructed of 0.065 inch wall
thickness, 1 inch diameter 4130 round Chromoly tube.
This was chosen for the same materials properties as
described in the front suspension section. FEA was also
performed on the rear arms, and proved them to be
capable of handling the stresses exerted on them in
extreme situations, as seen in Figure 17. As a result of
the rear shock mounting location being offset, additional
triangulation support was added to that section of the Aarms to minimize deflection and dramatically decrease

Refer to Figure 29 for a solid modeled image of the

suspension integrated into the vehicle.

causing uncontrollable turning of the wheels. Properly

aligning the suspension and tie rod joints into
parallelogram geometry, shown in Figure 19, can
completely eliminate bump steer. The small rack fulfills
this design specification, along with reducing weight and
freeing up space in the front end. The 12:1 ratio
provides very responsive steering, but does not make
the car too difficult to steer.

STEERING SYSTEM DESIGN

OBJECTIVE
The steering system is designed to withstand the stress
of safely maneuvering the vehicle through any type of
terrain.
DESIGN
Simplicity and safety were the main design specifications
for the vehicles steering system. A small, lightweight
rack with a 12:1 ratio was chosen as the main
component of the assembly. The small size of this rack
allows the geometry and joints of both the suspension
arms and tie rods to align perfectly and completely
eliminate bump steer. Custom stainless steel clevises
provide a strong, corrosion resistant link between the
rack and the custom aluminum tie rods featuring
opposing threads for easy adjustability. Lightweight
aluminum rod was chosen for the tie rod material for
ease of manufacture, along with the fact that it will easily
withstand the strictly axial forces applied to it. Steel
tubing was used for the steering column due to the
torsional loads it will need to withstand. A universal joint
provided easy redirection of the steering column as it
extends from the rack, along with a safety feature. If the
vehicle sustained a severe head-on collision, the
steering system would buckle instead of being driven
into the driver. The forward design of the bearing mount
loop allows for easy entering and exiting of the vehicle.
A quick disconnect adapter for the steering wheel, which
also allows for easy entrance and exit of the vehicle,
completes the steering system.

Clevises
The connection between the tie rods and rack is
completed with custom, male clevises, shown in Figure
20. These small parts allow for full implementation of
the heim joints included with the rack, without interfering
with the rack mount. The use of stainless steel reduces
the likelihood of failure due to corrosion. The differing
metals in this area of the car (aluminum, steel, etc.)
introduce differences in galvanic potential. This, along
with the inevitable presence of electrolyte in the form of
mud, produces the perfect conditions for corrosion. The
complex geometry of these clevises also increases the
probability of stress corrosion cracking. The passive film
on stainless steel greatly reduces these risks of failure
much more effectively than painted steel ever could.
Steering Column
The use of aluminum was considered with the steering
column just as it was for the tie rods; however, unlike the
tie rods, the stress imposed upon the steering column is
almost strictly torsional. The modulus of elasticity for
aluminum is approximately a third of that of steel. This,
combined with the equation for angular deflection
,
produces an angular deflection in aluminum
approximately three times what it would be with steel.
Since this sort of sloppiness is undesired in a steering
system, steel is used. The calculations in Figure 21
confirm that the 0.75 inch steel shaft will withstand the
stresses imposed upon it. The forward mounting loop
for the steering column provides extra knee room for
drivers of all sizes, along with providing room for easy
exit of the vehicle in the event of an emergency.

Tie Rods
Intuitive analysis of a steering system shows that the
forces exerted on tie rods produce almost strictly axial
forces on them. Since the tensile strength of alloyed
aluminum can approach that of steel and buckling is not
an issue in such a short rod, the weight saving, low
density of aluminum can be utilized in this case. The
use of solid aluminum rod for the tie rods also introduces
an ease of manufacture not available with steel tubing.
Drilled and tapped holes on both ends of the tie rods
allow for easy incorporation of a heim joint and clevis on
either end. Furthermore, tapping one end of the tie rod
with a left hand thread allows the toe adjustment to be
completed by simply twisting the tie rod extending the
tie rod with rotation in one direction and shortening it
with the other.

DRIVE-TRAIN DESIGN
OBJECTIVE
The drive-train is a very important part of the Mini Baja
car, taking into consideration that all of the cars power is
transferred through the drive-train system to the ground.
The challenge is to harness the engines 10 horsepower
and distribute it to the ground in the most efficient way.
The drive-train needs to be able to operate in the lowest
and highest gear ratios while performing in all of the
different aspects of the competition.

Steering Rack
The front suspension design incorporates a narrow front
end due to the long suspension arms. The long
suspension arms allow for a better suspension ratio. By
limiting the spacing between the inside suspension arm
joints to 7 inches, the overall width of the car does not
increase with the longer suspension arms. The size of
the steering rack is directly limited by this spacing
between the suspension joints in order to overcome
bump steer. Bump steer is the phenomenon where
suspension travel can move the tie rods in or out,

DESIGN
The drive-train design focuses on being highly variable
while also staying very light and easily serviced. The
drive-train allows the car to be vary between the gear
ratios of 8.1:1 to 50.7:1. This gear ratio setup allows the
car to have a start up speed of 2.4 MPH and a top speed
7

system uses a metric 520 O-ring chain that is

lightweight, reliable, and able to withstand the applied
forces. The maximum constant load on the chain during
the highest torque situation was calculated to be 2,700
lbf. In addition to the forces generated during constant
torque loading, forces due to torque spikes needed to be
included, which increases the maximum chain load to
approximately 3200 lbf. The manufacturer listed the
yield strength of the chain to be 8,100 lbf which gives a
factor of safety of 2.53 during maximum chain loading.
Based on this, it was determined that metric 520 O-ring
chain would be capable of withstanding the applied load.
The design implements the use of a very short chain
which minimizes the number of links and weight of the
chain. Besides reducing weight, fewer links results in
less stretch in the chain, because there are less links to
be stretched. Utilizing an O-ring chain significantly
increases the life of the chain, because of the reduced
metal on metal wear that is common on a non O-ring
chain. Using a chain in place of a belt also has the
benefits of a longer drive life, no drive slippage, and the
ability to withstand large torque loads.

of 33 MPH. The system includes a continuously variable

transmission (CVT), planetary gear box, and a chain
drive to a Polaris Outlaw rear housing with custom built
drive axles.
Continuously Variable Transmission
The Comet 790 Series CVT has gear ratios from 0.54:1
to 3.38:1. Utilizing this CVT gives the car many
advantages that include a lightweight, simple, tunable
transmission setup. The primary clutch consists of a
centrifugal clutch that automatically shifts gears ratios
under varying engine speeds and torque loads. The
ability to tune the CVT comes from changing weights
and springs in the primary clutch that will change
engagement RPMs and time to maximum ratio. This
allows the car to go fast and have a high gear ratio while
traveling over flat terrain and have a low gear ratio while
traveling over rough or steep terrain.
Figure 22
illustrates the engine RPM to CVT ratio relationship.
The CVT utilizes a 1 inch belt that requires a center
distance of 9.41 inches, as seen in Figure 23.
Planetary Gearbox

Rear Housing

The planetary gearbox that is used in the car is

manufactured by Zenith and offers a great way to
achieve the desired 5:1 gear reduction in a compact
package, as seen in Figure 24. The planetary gearbox
has many useful features, such as sealed bearings,
lifetime lubrication, and a high energy density. The
sealed bearings for lifetime lubrication are a very nice
feature for the off-road enthusiast who wants to enjoy
their vehicle with little maintenance. The high energy
density allows the gearbox to withstand high torque
loads while maintaining a small size. Its versatile
mounting brackets allow it to be mounted very low on the
vehicle, in turn lowering the vehicles center of gravity.
To make the planetary gear box possible for our
application, a small amount of modification was required
to the existing gearbox. The input required a custom
shaft that would fit the driven clutch in the Comet 790
Series CVT and the output required a small modification
to the existing output shaft. Both were designed and
machined in-house at the University of WisconsinPlatteville. Many different factors were taken into
consideration during the design of the input and output
shafts. The input shaft required a change in size from
inch at the exit of the CVT to 1- inch diameter at the
input of the planetary gearbox. The input shaft was
designed with a 2:1 taper from 1- inch to inch. A
taper was selected over a straight transition in order to
reduce stress risers. The existing output shaft was also
modified with a 2:1 taper as the input shaft reduced for a
1.5 inch diameter shaft to a 1 diameter shaft.

The rear housing consists of a Polaris Outlaw rear

housing. This is a very good choice because it provides
a drive to the rear axles in a small and light package.
The housing provides excellent way to transfer power
from the chain to the sprocket hub that drives the rear
axles. The rear housing pivots on the bottom, so that
chain tension can be adjusted by tilting the housing
away from the planetary gearbox. A bolt that goes
through a plate in the frame is threaded into a clevis
which makes it very easy to adjust the chain tension.
The rear housing is sealed with rubber boots which
allows the rear housing to have lifetime lubrication,
resulting in very low maintenance.
Rear Axles
To complete the drive-train, custom rear drive axles
were machined to accommodate the unique drive-train
setup. These drive axles have a 1 inch diameter, and
are made from 4330 alloy steel. The required diameter
of the shaft was calculated to be 0.645 inch using the
equation
By using a 1 inch shaft, a factor of
safety of 1.55 was utilized.
Refer to Figure 29 for a solid modeled image of
the drive-train integrated into the vehicle.

BRAKING DESIGN
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of the brakes is to stop the car safely and
effectively. In order to achieve maximum performance
from the braking system, the brakes have been designed
to lock up all four wheels, while minimizing the cost and
weight.

Chain Drive
The output of the planetary gearbox consists of a 13
tooth sprocket and hub that drive a chain which leads to
a 39 tooth sprocket mounted on the rear housing, as
seen in Figure 25. The sprocket on the planetary gear
box can easily be changed to accommodate different
gear ratios for variety driving conditions. The chain

DESIGN

front and back axles respectively to lock up the wheels.

The braking components provide 468.58 Nm and 222.52
Nm of braking effort in the front and in the back
respectively, which is more than the required amount to
stop the vehicle. This creates an acceptable factor of
safety for the braking system on the car. Braking force
to lock all four wheels verses the tire coefficient was also
calculated and graphed for analysis, which can be seen
in Figure 26. This graph is beneficial to illustrate the
amount of force needed to lock up the tires on various
terrains with different tire types. Figure 27 shows that
with the cars braking components, it will be able to
easily stop at any speed that it is capable of traveling.
Table 3 below gives an overview of the braking system
specifications that were calculated.

The breaking system is mainly composed of components

from Polaris and Wilwood. Two front brake calipers
and one rear caliper, mounted to the rear housing, have
the ability to stop the vehicle effectively, and lock up all
four wheels. The front brakes are composed of 7 inch
diameter discs and dual 1.19 inch diameter piston
calipers, made by Polaris. The rear brake consists of an
8 inch diameter disc and 1.18 inch diameter piston
calipers, also made by Polaris. Both front and rear brake
components are currently utilized on the 2008 Polaris
Outlaw. Front brake disc with a dual piston design were
chosen because of their superior braking ability,
compared to single piston calipers. With the dual bore
design, braking can be more effective due to the fact that
two pistons increase the surface area acting on the
brake pads. The Outlaw rear brake components were
chosen because of their easy integration with the rear
housing and their ability to easily meet the braking needs
of the car. Remote master cylinders from Wilwood were
chosen to increase the flexibility of mounting locations,
while also creating more space for the driver. Two
master cylinders were chosen instead of one to ensure
that the braking system would still be able to perform,
even if one were to fail. Therefore, if either the front or
rear brake system fails unexpectedly, braking power will
still be available to the driver. Steel brake lines run the
length of the car, and flexible braided lines are used at
the A-arms in the front for suspension travel and caliper
pivoting.

Braking Specifications
Front Brake Balance (%)
38
Rear Brake Balance (%)
62
Driver Force on Pedal (lb.)
110
Average Circuit pressure (psi)
900
Pedal Ratio
5:1
Table 3- Outline of braking specifications

ELECTRICAL DESIGN
OBJECTIVES
The electronic system for the car was designed to fulfill
two key purposes. First, the electronics system supports
the mandatory safety equipment, specifically the brake
light and the kill switch circuit. Second, the electronics
provide useful instrumentation, in particular a
tachometer.

Input Data
Master Cylinder Size (in)
.625
Caliper Size Front (in)
1.19
Caliper Size Rear (in)
1.18
Pad Height Front (in)
.929
Pad Height Rear (in)
.787
Front Disc Radius (in)
3.5
Rear Disc Radius (in)
4
Coefficient of Friction disc/pad
.45
Weight of Vehicle (lb)
500
Wheelbase (in)
56
Table 2- Brake system data used to calculated system
specifications

DESIGN
The cars electrical system has been designed around
three main power buses, each with an independently
fused circuit. These buses are the safety lights bus, the
unregulated power bus, and the regulated power bus.
The safety lights bus is connected directly to the battery
while the regulated and unregulated buses are
connected through a 40A relay. Every powered
electrical component on the car is connected to one of
these three buses. These buses are managed from a
centrally located sealed enclosure located in the
dashboard.

Through the use of a brake calculator and the input data

listed in Table 2, it was determined that the selected
components would perform to the expectations needed.
Ideally, the braking bias should be 50-50, but there will
always be a level of adjustment needed to optimize
brake performance. Being able to adjust the braking
bias is especially important for this car, because of
having two calipers in the front and one caliper in the
back. The bias needed to optimize braking performance
was found to be almost exactly opposite of what would
normally be expected of a brake bias, which is normally
60% in the front and 40% in the back. As a result of
having only one rear caliper, 38% of the braking power
needed to be biased towards the front, and 62% of
braking power needed to be biased to the back. The
pedal force needed to lock the brakes was calculated to
be 110 lbs, which is within the capability of any driver.
From the calculations performed, it was found that a
torque of 372.4 Nm and 182.33 Nm were required in the

The safety lights bus powers the brake light. The brake
light is activated by a brake pressure switch located in
the rear brake line. The electronics are designed so that
when the kill switch is depressed, power is disabled on
both the regulated and unregulated buses, but the safety
light bus remains connected so that the brake can still
function. Because the kill switch closes the circuit when
activated, the kill switch function is achieved by using a
pair of diodes to simultaneously ground out the engines
primary coil and bypass the normally-open relay on the
regulated and unregulated buses. One diode prevents
the engine from grounding through the relay and the
other diode prevents battery current from flowing back
into the ignition coil. A 5, 10W resistor is placed in
series before the relay and kill switch pair to limit the
current from the battery to the two branch circuits. A
9

second 5, 10W resistor is placed in series with the kill

switch. This is arranged so that when the kill switch is
pressed, the relay, with an internal resistance of 78,
has a significant portion of its supply current shunted
through the kill switch branch that has a resistance of
only 5. This reduced current flow through the relay
branch and is enough to cause the relay to shut off,
which then disconnects power to the regulated and
unregulated buses, but still leaves the safety lights bus
connected to the battery independent of the relay.

To make the Mini Baja car the best performing car at the
track, special attention was given to the drive-train and
suspension design. Those two components most
significantly affect a consumers attitude about the
performance of an off-road vehicle. The drive-train gives
the car a top speed of 33 mph, while still being able to
provide 600 ft-lbf of torque at the wheels. The
suspension was highly analyzed through the design
process and performs just as well. The suspension will
support handling at high rates of speed, while still being
able to articulate aggressively for a wide variety of
terrains.

The component that is connected to the unregulated bus

is the tachometer. This bus was designed for expansion
though, which may include off the shelf instrumentation,
power for accessories, and other similar components.
Anything connected to the unregulated bus is either not
sensitive to electronic noise and voltage spikes in the
power supply, or contains protection circuitry. The
regulated bus contains the circuitry that conditions the
signal for the tachometer. The original signal for the
tachometer was intended to be generated by the
manufacturers signal sender. This signal sender is
designed to connect to an external shaft from the
engine. Because designing a shaft for this application
would be expensive and difficult, a custom signal
conditioning circuit has been devised. The ideal signal
to the tachometer was found to oscillate at 8 kHz and
possess an amplitude of 60mV for the needle to read
4000 RPM. Any signal input with an amplitude of 25mV
and below is read as zero RPM on the meter, which is a
problem. This problem was solved through using an
optoisolator along with a few other techniques.

Paramount to all other requirements was the safety of

the driver. Once baseline safety requirements were in
accordance with the 2009 Mini Baja SAE Competition
Rules, the design did not stop there. For example, Finite
Element Analysis verified the robust nature of the frame,
further ensuring consumer safety while operating this
vehicle.
Extensive FEA, computer aided solid modeling,
calculations, and testing throughout the design process,
made design assurance possible. These types of
analysis verify reliability in most types of terrain.
Designing the vehicle to be simple, yet sophisticated,
was another way the UWP Mini Baja car promotes
reliability. Another aspect of reliability this vehicle
provides is its capability to be easily maintained.
Maintenance is able to be performed on all components
of the vehicle easily, because the vehicle was fully solid
modeled before manufacturing took place, allowing for
the opportunity to eliminate component placement
constraints which would make it difficult to perform
scheduled maintenance like changing the oil or replacing
a CVT belt.

This electrical system provides a reliable and efficient

way to manage all the electronic components on the
UWP Mini Baja car. Refer to Figure 28 for the full
electrical schematic of the UWP Mini Baja car.

CONCLUSION

CONSUMER INTEREST

Once all the design aspects have been combined into

one complete vehicle, the result is profound. Safe,
reliable, fast, aggressive, and just plain fun to drive is
what the UWP Mini Baja car is all about. With a focus
on the drive-train and suspension design, the vehicle will
be able to handle any terrain that is put before it. The
drive-train sports a respectable low end wheel torque of
600 ft-lbf, while still having an exhilarating top speed of
33 mph. The suspension creates a ride that is
comfortable, yet aggressive when handling corners at
high speeds. This vehicle only has a 10 HP engine, but
as a result of effective design techniques it has the
ability to conquer the most difficult terrain. Through
weight reduction, increasing drive-train efficiency, and
calculating and tuning the suspension accurately, the
power restraint is a minimum factor in this vehicles offroad ability. Not only will the performance catch a
consumers interest, but features such as a comfortable
seat, a sleek body design, practical electronics, and cost
effectiveness will impress even consumers that are not
avid off-road vehicle enthusiasts. The careful design
and the technology that went into this vehicle will prove
itself during manufacturing, in the show room, and of
course, at the track.

The appeal of the finished product to a consumer is

equally as important as all other aspects of the design
process. A consumer must find the vehicle to be
reasonably priced, aesthetically pleasing, exhilarating to
drive, safe, and dependable in order to insure that the
vehicle will be purchased. These consumer factors were
continually considered throughout the design of the
UWP Mini Baja vehicle.
To create a vehicle that was cost effective,
manufacturing processes were closely monitored
throughout the design process. For example, the
chassis was designed in SolidWorks and imported into
Bend-Tech making the chassis easy to manufacture
with computer aided machinery, lowering production
cost. Utilizing similar processes throughout the rest of
the vehicles design and manufacturing lowered the
overall price of the vehicle.
The Mini Baja car body was design to be aesthetically
pleasing. A fiber-glass molded hood and dashboard with
recessed body panels that show off the chassis inner
workings make the car look clean and fun to drive.
10

Fig. 4 Distributed load at 90 degrees relative to the roof

of the chassis (Algor)

APPENDIX

Fig. 5 Result of 90 degree loading (Algor)

Fig. 1 2009 UWP Mini Baja Chassis (SolidWorks)

Fig. 6 Distributed load at 45 degrees relative to the roof

of the chassis (Algor)

Fig. 2 Distributed load at 135 degrees relative to the roof

of the chassis (Algor)

Fig. 7 Result of 45 degree loading (Algor)

Fig. 3 Result of 135 degree loading (Algor)

Fig. 8 Maximum loading until yield (Algor)

11

Fig. 9 Loading on rear shock mount (Algor)

Fig. 13 Torsional rigidity loading (Algor)

Fig. 10 Result of loading 800 lbf (yield) on rear shock

mount (Algor)

Fig. 14 Result of torsional rigidity loading (Algor)

Fig. 15 Body calculation

Fig. 11 Loading on front shock mount (Algor)

Fig. 16 Maximum lower front A-arm loading (Algor)

Fig. 12 Result of loading 485 lbf (yield) on front shock
mount (Algor)
12

Fig. 17 Maximum lower rear A-arm loading (Algor)

Fig. 21 Steering equations

Fig. 22 Speed verses RPM with CVT transmission

Fig. 18 Force verses velocity plot produced by shock

dynomometer

Fig. 19 Steering diagram

Fig. 23 CVT implemented on car

Fig. 20 Steering Clevis (SolidWorks)

13

Fig. 24 Planetary gear box assembly

Fig. 28 Electrical schematic

Fig. 25 Drive-train installed in the car

Fig. 29 Solid model of UWP Mini Baja Car

(SolidWorks )

Fig. 26 Brake force to lock verses tire coefficient

Fig. 27 Brake distance verses speed

14

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS

The University of Wisconsin Platteville Society of

Automotive Engineers Mini Baja team would like to thank
all faculty members in the Engineering Department for
their participation and cooperation in the development of
the 2009 Mini Baja car. We would like to extend a
special thanks to Dr. David Kunz, John Abbing, Aaron
Rath, Mitch Wellsandt, Roy Navarrete, Clyde Holverson,
Lou Behrens, and Casey Schueller for crucial knowledge
in their areas of expertise. We would also like to extend
our gratitude to our sponsors: Anderson Welding and
Repair, Briggs and Stratton, EH Baare, KD Auto Service,
Kaiser's Contract Cleaning Specialists, Polaris, Quality
Drive Systems, and Signs to Go.

AISI:

American Iron and Steel Institute

ATV:

All Terrain Vehicle

FAB:

Fore/Aft Bracing Member

REFERENCES

FBM:

Front Bracing Member

Davis, Ian. Braking Data File. London, England, 2005.

March 7, 2008.

FEA:

Finite Element Analysis

FLC:

Front Lateral Cross Member

Callister, W. D. Materials Science and Engineering. Sixth

Edition. New York, New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
2003.

Chromoly:

Chromium-Molybdenum Steel

CNC:

Computer Numerical Control

CVT:

Continuously Variable Transmission

DOM: Drawn Over Mandrel

GTAW: Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

HDPE: High Density Polyurethane

Gere, James M. Mechanics of Materials. Sixth Edition.

Belomont, CA 94002: Bill Stenquist, 2004.

ID:

Inside Diameter

Hoa, D. G. Composite Materials Design and Application.

Second Edition. Boca Raton: CRC Press Taylor &
Francis Group, 2007.

LBD:

Rear Roll Hoop Lateral Diagonal Bracing

Lbf:

Pound Force

Milliken, Doug F. and Milliken, William F..Race Car

Vehicle Dynamics. SAE International, December 1995.

LC:

Lateral Cross Member

LFS:

Lower Frame Side Member

MPH:

Miles Per Hour

SAE International. "2009 Baja SAE Competition Rules."

September 27, 2009.
<http://www.sae.org/students/mbrules.pdf>.

OD:

Outside Diameter

PSI:

Pounds Per Square Inch

CONTACT

RHO:

Roll Hoop Overhead Member

Brendan Behrens, Captain, behrenb@uwplatt.edu

Mechanical Engineering Student

RPM:

Revolution Per Minute

RRH:

Rear Roll Hoop

SAE:

Society of Automotive Engineers

SIM:

Side Impact Member

Norton, Robert L. Design of Machinery. Fourth Edition.

New York, New York 10020: McGraw-Hill Inc., 2008.

Kyle Droessler, Co-Captain, droesslerky@uwplatt.edu

Mechanical Engineering Student
Dr. David Kunz, Faculty Advisor, kunzd@uwplatt.edu
Mechanical Engineering Chairman

UWP: University of Wisconsin Platteville