Formula Student races could well be the next big pit stop for Indian automotive suppliers. For instance, New Delhi-based Rasco Automotive Systems, an engineering design and product lifecycle management services provider, has scanned the components for the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, Formula Student racing car that will be a part of the competition in Hungary to be held between August 17-20.
Rasco is also one of the sponsors for the car. Its logo will be displayed on the car in exchange for scanning services offered. Other sponsors include Bosch, which has supplied the tooling, as well as the Sona Group and IndianOil Corporation.
For Rasco and other sponsors, the Formula Student race has evolved into a platform to increase their brand visibility globally. Since racing competitions are supported by auto majors like Audi, General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, it could also accrue in additional business for them.
The Formula Student race, to be held under the aegis of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), will have various teams from international engineering institutions competing with race cars developed mainly by engineers from the mechanical stream.
‘Inspired Karters’, as the 26-member BITS Pilani Formula Student racing team is known, approached Rasco for 3D scanning of the car’s petrol engine, front and rear brake callipers and the intake nozzle near the engine. It acquired the Honda CBR 250cc engine that powers the racing car after modifications for locating the air intake throttle body.
Wet tyres have been sourced from Bridgestone and slick tyres without tread from Hoosier besides which front and rear brakes have been sourced from the TVS Apache motorcycle. But the chassis, engine mount and wheel assembly have been designed in-house by the BITS Pilani team. Development of the race car and event registration cost over Rs 22 lakh.
Rasco has used the R1 model scanner for scanning the car parts with the scanner procured from 3D3 Solutions of Canada for whom it has recently become an exclusive distributor for India. The R1 scanner uses 2 x 1.3MP monochrome cameras along with a digital light processing projector with Flexscan 3D software to scan the data.
Objects are kept at a distance of around 750mm from the scanner and the projector throws a fringe pattern on the objects to capture the data.
Rasco’s agreement with 3D3 Solutions was inked in March and is valid for a year, says Aman Bir Singh, managing director. The company will market the products directly; the 3D scanners are priced between Rs 10 lakh for the basic model upwards to
Rs 35 lakh, depending on its level of customisation and accessories.
Scanning OEMs
Founded in 2004, Rasco leverages CAD, CAM and non-contact-based measurement techniques to provide customers with engineering support for new product development.
Its key customers are Tier 1 vendors to OEMs (mainly electric two-wheeler makers and commercial vehicle manufacturers), exporters and OEs. The Tier 1 suppliers are providers of suspensions, rubber mouldings, exhaust systems, lighting equipment, accessories like door visors, rear spoilers, body kits and sheet metal as well as casting components.
Rasco’s strength lies in white light or 3D scanning which helps generate high-accuracy CAD models for components without leveraging CAD data with the technique reducing product development time by almost 70 percent as well as eliminating the possibility of human error. This scanning technique is also used for quality and inspection purposes by OEMs and their vendors.
Light scanning is a technique that captures the geometry of automotive and mechanical components, assemblies or complete vehicles, without touching the object.
Rasco began importing the 3D3 solutions from April 2010 onwards and upgraded its scanner last year. Singh admits that while no confirmed orders have been obtained, queries have come from the Gujarat-based Tier I suppliers and aftermarket manufacturers. The company is targeting sales of around 10 units in the first year with an expected turnover of around Rs 1.5 crore. A group company, Rasco Radiators, makes aftermarket radiators for industrial diesel engine generators of 7.5-500kva capacity. It also exports radiators for tractors, mainly Polish makes like Zetor and Ursus as well as Ford and Massey Ferguson.
The radiators are made from copper and brass with the CAD company exploring options of transiting to aluminium-plastic radiators to reduce their weight for which in-house design work is currently underway.
The Rasco Group recorded a turnover of
Rs 11.37 crore for 2011-12. It is targeting a topline of Rs 15 crore in 2012-13 with the major growth to come from Rasco Automotive by virtue of 3D scanner sales and its scanning business.
Singh says Rasco will set up an office at Ontario in Canada as well. This will function primarily as its delivery centre for handling exports of design services to the North American automotive markets like Windsor-Essex and Detroit. “We will also use it as a platform to promote our radiators in Canada which is a huge agricultural equipment market,” he concludes.
SHOBHA MATHUR