Purdue Formula SAE Information

Purdue University is recognized world-wide for its excellent engineering program. Members of the Purdue Formula SAE team create a well-designed car each year by combining the theory learned in class with hands-on skills. Students utilize engineering skills and state of the art tools to design and verify the new car. Our team is comprised primarily of mechanical engineering students, but we also welcome students from other majors. Formula SAE (FSAE) is a student design competition endorsed by the Society of Automotive Engineers. Each year SAE International challenges students to design, build, and race a small open wheel car. During the design phase, students must adhere to competition rules created by SAE International. These rules encourage students to create more innovative designs and test their engineering skills with real world problems. The Formula SAE competition is designed to test each team’s design and knowledge of various aspects of vehicle design and manufacture. Each year, student built cars are presented to members of industry who judge the design and manufacturing work and give the team guidance and advice. These critiques help teams learn about and improve upon designs. The cars are also rigorously tested during dynamic events which test driveability, reliability, and the overall performance of the car. Both static and dynamic events are used to determine a winner.