Jaden Zhang
UT25 - Formula SAE Racecar
University of Toronto Formula racing design team (UTFR)
Since its inception in 1997, the University of Toronto Formula Racing Team (UTFR) has undertaken the task of guilding a formula-style open-wheel race car from scratch annually. We compete in FSAE competitions in the United States as well as europe, specifically in the electric vehicle division. Recently, we dove into driverless vehicle implementation, becoming the first driverless FSAE vehicle in Canada with the UT24 car.
In my first year on the team, I driven to learn as much as possible of the full design and development cycle of this large-scale project - from contributing to design work, to spending long days and whole nights on manufacturing and assembly, to supporting testing and competition operations. The vast majority of my work in the 2024-2025 season was in the brakes, autonomous brakes (EBS), and steering mechanical subsections of the team.
Key Skills: Manual Machine Manufacturing, Vehicle component assembly, Rush Design/Manufacturing
Metal/Polymer Machining Work and Assembly
November 2024 - May 2025
As much as we all love design and CAD, digital models cannot manufacture themselves. One of my main tasks contributing to the UT25 car was manufacturing and machining of a multitude of brakes and steering components, including complex parts such as EBS piston housings and mounting brackets for a custom steering rack.
Supvervised by: MC78, Brian Vu, Francesca Fortino, under UofT Mechanical & Industrial Engineering Department, UTFR
- Manual machining with materials including Aluminium 6061, editing 3d printed AlSi10mg, PTFE (Teflon), and Steel 4140 to sufficient finish and up to ±0.002'' precision
- Experienced usage of lathes, mills, bandsaws, angle grinders, band sanders, tapping machines, collets, and sheet metal bending machines
- Totalled more than 250 hours over both 2024-2025 semesters in machine shops, machining from stock, waterjetted cutouts, and detailing 3D printed metal constructs to effectively assemble brakes and pedal systems
- Assembly, post machining, of the EBS + manual brakes pedal construction, including attaching pneumatic autonomous braking system and hydraulic manual braking system
- Bleeding brakes with incompressible braking fluid for a double master cylinder (MC), four calliper hydraulic braking system to remove air bubbles and optimize practical braking effectiveness
A collection of machined parts, made from stock PTFE, aluminium, tool/mild steel, done throughout the 2024-2025 season, manufactured by me.
A collection of machining drawings used to manufacture parts. All of these drawings were provided to me to machine the respective components. A few, not displayed, simplier parts/drawings were also assigned and manufactured.
The EBS (electronic braking system) housings for autonomous driverless configuration, containing a simple pneumatic piston system to autonomously apply brakes. This was one of the toughest pieces to machine due to the complex construction, tight tolerances, and requiring mixed machining.
The process of brakes bleeding involves opening the calliper output tube, feeding in brake fluid into the front master cylinder, pumping the brake pedal (with rotors present to avoid calliper piston lockup), and monitoring a tube attached plastic bottle, collecting some brake fluid along with a lot of air bubbles, until no bubbles are present. Much of this process is agitating the fluid in the brass brake lines to convince air bubbles to surface at callipers.
EBS Gas Cylinders Mount
May 2025
Towards the end of the 2024-2025 design season, a major issue in mounting the EBS air tanks arose, as the previously planned mounting method was found to be invalid. I was issued the responsibility of procuring a competition legal EBS air tank mount within a few short days, including measuring, designing/CADing, and manufacturing the mount.
Supervised by: Bryan Vo, Youssef Elhadad
- Dimensional measurements of physical and digitally modelled system to create design a easily manufacturable mount
- CAD with Solidworks sheetmetal and McMaster-Carr library quickly procure a complex mounting geometry while minimizing advanced machining methods
- Full design cycle (scoping, modelling, prototyping, manufacturing, testing) within three days to rush create a minimally usable mount
The EBS source (black) air tank mount. Mounts to the back chassis tubes, while holding the tank neck stable with a U-bolt.
Air tank mount secured to the night before a certain testing day.
The very preliminary design of the mount. Was iterated a few times for manufacturability, using only sheet steel already preasent in the design team shop, and adding the U-bolt shown on the right.