Team Members & Role: 

Sumanth Ganta: Team Lead

Jack Artis: Analysis Lead

Colton Spirko: Design Lead

Matt Morrin: Fabrication Lead

Tommy Cotner: Evaluation Lead

Abstract:

The Minutemen Racing team is looking to compete in their first-ever Formula SAE competition in 2025. In this student design competition, teams seek to produce small-scale, open-wheel race cars, entirely designed and manufactured by the students, culminating in a series of track competitions. Group 1506 sought to produce one major component of this vehicle for Minutemen Racing: the pedal box. The need for in-house production of a pedal box stems from the assembly’s custom requirements when implemented in an FSAE vehicle. Rather than purchasing an off-the-shelf assembly, fabricating a custom design not only reduces cost but also guarantees the team’s ability to use a pedal rated to all the FSAE rulebook load requirements. Additionally, custom manufacturing a pedal box enables the production of a unique and precise pedal ratio. The in-house design also improves driver ergonomics, as the formula-style cars require a unique seating position, in turn, materializing a pedal box that is adjustable in the initial pedal angle, pedal travel distance, and pedal box positioning is ideal. Group 1506 used an iterative design process to ensure optimal strength levels while meeting the requirements of a lightweight, compact pedal box for seamless integration into the chassis. Designs were analyzed using static structural analysis software to determine stress levels and assembly fatigue life. An evaluation was performed on the final assembly to measure the applied force and deflection of the pedal box under heavy loads