Testing Excellence with Bosch

Bosch has been a long-term partner of Monash Motorsport, supporting the team through numerous European campaigns and competition victories. Thanks to them, in 2018 our team had the privilege of testing at the Bosch Proving Ground in Boxberg, Germany, alongside the top teams in the lead-up to Formula Student Germany. In Australia, Bosch have provided us with the invaluable opportunity to test our cars at the Australian Automotive Research Centre (AARC).

Our opportunity to test at this world-class facility with Bosch was integral to the development of our M19 vehicles. The large dynamic asphalt testing area allows for structured and scientific development of the vehicles in both dry and wet conditions. Crucially, the facility has ample room to set up the Formula Student Germany track right here in Victoria, which is not possible at most of our other testing locations. In the video below, M19-C can be seen taking advantage of this large area for Autocross track practice in the lead up to Formula SAE-Australasia 2019.

Thanks to these resources, we were able to collect valuable data and significantly improve the tune of our cars. Some of this time was allocated to validation and data acquisition of M19-C and M19-E’s aerodynamics, allowing us to quantify the effects of the newly developed aero package, as well as implement improvements. Examples of such testing include high-speed coast-downs, which allow us to validate the aerodynamic drag produced by the vehicle, as well as large constant radius corners and slaloms which, combined with our pressure tapping system, allows us to validate the pressures and structures which we simulate in CFD. We place a high level of importance on the reliability of the M19 race cars to finish all events at a competition. Therefore, the remainder of the testing time was dedicated to completing full competition simulations, where we were able to set up full-scale tracks which would be impossible at other testing facilities.

During our testing, we also had the invaluable opportunity to collaborate with some of Bosch’s vehicle calibration experts. Not only were they able to provide insights on their testing strategy, but they also networked with our engineers, forming valuable relationships for the future. Multiple team members of Monash Motorsport have gone on to participate in Bosch internship programs, as well as secure graduate positions at Bosch Australia, particularly in Chassis Systems Control and in Autonomous Driving and Driver Assistance.

Without Bosch, Monash Motorsport would not be able to perform at the highest level. Their facilities and technical support have helped to ensure that our M19 race cars were tuned to perfection and as reliable as possible at Formula SAE-Australasia 2019, where M19-C and M19-E both took out 1st place in their respective classes. We now look forward to continuing our partnership with Bosch in 2020 to take the M19 race cars to the next level.