Background:

As an engineer on Caltech's FSAE team, I was tasked with designing our vehicle's suspension system.

Problem Statement: 

The upright is the main component of a suspension; it connects the wheel & brakes to the main control arms and bears a lot of the loads going into the body. Our upright was quite heavy at 3lbs, and so I was tasked with reducing the mass of this component.  

Solution:

Using simulations to model the stresses on our old upright design, I was able to reduce mass in areas that weren't bearing much stress. I also added ribs, which improve stiffness. I was ultimately able to remove about 1 lb of mass on the upright (30% of part weight).