A Week in the Life of….
The team at Formula SAE Australasia 2016
“As a member of both the Chassis and Business section, my week is packed with tasks. Every hour I’m not in class I will be around the workshop, working on the Chassis, contacting our sponsors, taking photos, organising events or updating the team’s social media, as well as keeping up to date with uni work and attending lectures.
As I am in my first year on the team, the majority of my tasks revolve around learning. On Monday evenings we attend 3 hour technical TAFE classes to develop our machining skills, and are required to complete a 6 month “junior project” which mimics the process involved with designing a part for the car.
The project not only taught us crucial skills such as operating ANSYS and various CAD software, but also allowed us to work together in a team and practice new skills. My week ends with a 10am start on a Sunday morning, where the day is spent fitting panels for the cockpit floor and pedal box.
It can be overwhelming at times, especially when you are new to the team, but the seniors make themselves very approachable and are always eager to help. With the support of the team and a can do attitude I can confidently look back the end of each week and be proud of what I have achieved.”
– Yuwei Cai, Recruit Chassis Engineer and Business Liaison.
“As a Suspension Engineer my day consists of numerous tasks to ensure our cars gets built. A usual day starts with a quiet briefing with myself on the train to make sure I know my plan for the day. In between outsourcing my parts, checking drawings and finalising CAD, I find time to finish assignments and keep up to date with lectures. Since the arrival of my uprights from Wirawaji, Monash University, and the Monash Wind tunnel, I have been preparing them to be properly assembled onto the car. This includes sanding and polishing the uprights and clevises, and drilling holes for the upper wishbone mounting clevises.
However, my part is only one of the many that makes up the Suspension assembly on M17 and M17E, I also ensure our new Suspension Recruits are kept busy and productive. This includes supervising to ensure they are correctly completing their assigned jobs, and answering any questions regarding the cars so that they can be independent, autonomous MMS engineers as soon as possible.
As the day winds down, I make sure the remaining Suspension Recruits still working know what they are doing to get the rest of their job done. I then take a moment to plan out the next day, and guarantee any incomplete and new jobs can be completed the next day. Despite this, my day is still not finished – any university work I need to get done for the next day needs to be completed as soon as I get home.”
– Senal Rajapakse, Senior Suspension Engineer.
“Mondays kick off in the dyno room, in fact, ever since our engine arrived, most days start and end with the dyno. The week then usually begins with a management meeting, where the team’s Leaders, Chiefs and Managers get together and discuss management’s goals for the week. Within each section we also hold weekly meetings. In Powertrain meetings we discuss our direction for the week, delegate tasks and check in on the Recruits to see how they are progressing. At the end of each meeting we set aside time to teach juniors, answer any questions they have, guide them with their junior projects, and teach them how to use simulation software.
Throughout the week I chase up tasks that need to be completed before each deadline. Another one of my responsibilities is double checking and approving senior designed parts and oversee the implementation of each part on the car. Outsourcing parts is a critical part of any section, and I’m ultimately responsible for coordinating timing to ensure Powertrain’s parts arrive on time. As I am currently studying a double degree in Industrial Design and Mechanical Engineering, maintaining a balance between my classes and projects, and managing the Powertrain section all comes down to good time management..”
– Will Jenkin, Powertrain Section Leader.
“The first thing I see every morning is a flood of late night emails sent the previous evening and reading through the updates of work completed the night before is always interesting. Although I do not have any classes scheduled on Monday, I enjoy arriving at the workshop early to admire the progress of the team. Starting the day early also allows time to double check any simulations that need to be run and get some work done before the first meeting. My role as a Chief Engineer is to help resolve any current problems whilst also pre-empting any potential future problems that are coming our way. The majority of my days are usually spent chasing up orders and overseeing what each section is up to. Mondays are always jam packed with meetings, whether it’s the Team, Management, Integration, Infrastructure, Manufacturing, or Section meetings, the main goal is to set the direction of the week.
In between the time I spend on FSAE, I also find time for University work. Tuesday and Wednesdays are spent rushing to and from classes. Thursday and Friday signifies the end of the week and I like to use these days to make sure everything is prepared for a weekend of work. Making sure things run smoothly is a full-time job, and a Chief Engineer’s job never ends, that is until the morning after competition.”
– Filip Surla, Chief Engineer.