Purpose
The Manufacturing Team provides a unique opportunity for engineering team members to take on the additional responsibility of ensuring that MUR Motorsports’ designs are optimised for manufacturability.
While focusing on their core engineering duties, team members in the Manufacturing Team also play a critical role in researching and enforcing best practices for manufacturing, ensuring that all components are designed with efficient production, material selection, and cost-effectiveness in mind.
This added responsibility helps bridge the gap between design and production, improving overall project outcomes.
Goals
| Primary Goals |
|---|
| Research Composites Manufacturing Methods |
| Enforcing Design for Manufacture Practices |
| Welding Training and Development |
| Secondary Goals |
|---|
| Collaborate with External Manufacturers |
| Support Process Optimisation |
| Conduct Workshops to Improve Manufacturing Skills |
Roles and Responsibilities
Research and Development of Manufacturing Methods
The Manufacturing Team is responsible for conducting in-depth research into the latest manufacturing technologies and methods that can be applied to the production of MUR Motorsports’ components. This includes evaluating processes like CNC machining, additive manufacturing (3D printing), composites fabrication, and laser cutting. The team identifies which methods are best suited for different parts of the vehicle and recommends them to the design and engineering teams.
Design for Manufacture
A key responsibility of the Manufacturing Team is to ensure that the vehicle’s design aligns with manufacturability best practices. This involves working closely with the Engineering Teams during the design phase to identify potential manufacturing challenges and advising on adjustments that make parts easier and more cost-effective. The goal is to reduce production complexity, minimise material waste, and ensure that parts can be produced to precise tolerances.
Continuous Process Improvement
The Manufacturing Team is responsible for staying current on the latest advancements in manufacturing technology and continually looking for ways to improve production efficiency. They research and implement new manufacturing techniques that can help reduce costs, shorten lead times, and improve the quality of parts. The team also reviews past projects to identify areas where processes can be streamlined or improved for future builds.
Material Selection and Process Optimisation
The Manufacturing Team plays a critical role in advising the Design Team on the selection of materials that best align with the chosen manufacturing processes. They ensure that the materials used are suitable for the intended application, balancing factors such as strength, weight, cost, and manufacturability. Additionally, the team works on optimizing manufacturing processes to reduce material waste and enhance production efficiency.
Documentation and Standardisation
To ensure consistency and quality in the manufacturing process, the team is responsible for documenting best practices, guidelines, and standards for manufacturability. This includes creating and maintaining design documentation and engineering drawings that can be shared with both internal teams and external manufacturers.
Welding Training and Fabrication
The Manufacturing Team is responsible for developing a training course for welding members, teaching them how to safely and effectively weld structural components such as the chassis and suspension. This hands-on training provides essential skills for assembling the vehicle and ensures that team members can handle critical aspects of the vehicle’s construction.
Members of the welding team are expected to complete welding training at a certified training institution of TAFE at their own cost.
Our recommendation: Introduction to Welding | Swinburne
Design Drawings and Quality Control
In addition to advising on manufacturing processes, the Manufacturing Team ensures that all components meet strict quality standards and comply with competition regulations. This begins with best practice in drafting engineering drawings and using standardised measurements and tolerance systems such as GD&T. Additionally, this includes conducting inspections, measurements, and quality checks to verify that parts meet the required tolerances and specifications.
Skills Exposure
| Soft Skills |
|---|
| Research and Adaptability |
| Communication |
| Problem Solving |
| Technical Skills |
|---|
| Design for Manufacturability |
| Welding and Fabrication |
| Composites Manufacturing |
| Material Science and Selection |
| Quality Control and Standards |
Industry and Work Opportunities
The skills developed in the Manufacturing Team, particularly in welding, process optimization, and design for manufacturability, open up numerous career opportunities in industries like automotive manufacturing, aerospace engineering, and mechanical fabrication. Graduates can pursue roles such as Manufacturing Engineer, Process Engineer, or Supplier Quality Engineer in industries that require precision and expertise in manufacturing. The hands-on experience in welding and working with advanced manufacturing techniques prepares team members for roles in motorsports engineering, automotive manufacturing, and high-performance vehicle production.
The opportunity to work on manufacturing research, coupled with practical skills in welding and fabrication, ensures that team members are equipped to handle both the theoretical and hands-on aspects of production, making them highly valuable in fields that require both innovation and craftsmanship.