October 2019 Newsletter

SPIRIT
We started the year off with a bang, introducing ourselves to the incoming first year class at the F!rosh Tourney and Club Fair held during Orientation Week. To introduce general members to composites fabrication and working with concrete, we held educational sessions where they could learn and practice in a less formal setting. For composites they worked with fibreglass and epoxy to create bowls, and for concrete they mixed and poured cement to create concrete plant holders. Now we are busy creating this year’s theme logo and brainstorming the paint job for our toboggan, as well as looking forward to more team building activities!

CONCRETE
Over the summer the team developed mix designs that focused on strength and sustainability. The team has also created their ski design. This year we will have two sets of skis, one for the racing run and one for steering run. Over the last few weeks we have been procuring the materials for our potential mixes and in the next couple weeks we will do our first test pour.

TECH-EX
Our team is in the final stages of selecting activities and games for Tech Ex day. We’re brainstorming and researching the products and materials we will need to execute our plans. We plan to procure materials and have our first build in the coming weeks. We’re working hard on finalizing our tech ex layout, and are currently looking for someone interested in being involved with creating a mural for the space’s walls.

THEME
This year, our theme will capture the hardworking, kindhearted traits of mail carriers! At our postal service, we will be dressing in the typical mailman uniform, and are planning to make our toboggan resemble a classic mail truck. At GNCTR 2020 in Toronto, our Technical Exhibition will mimic a postal office, with fun activities like sending mail to other competitors!

SHELL
The shell team has put many hours of research into aerodynamics this year in order to optimize our weight, size, and shape. The research done has led them to design a shell shape that is almost ready for production. New members have also gotten involved in the shell subsystem through learning about composite materials at our fibreglass layup workshop. The team has also thought about how we can improve our fabrication process, and has decided on a more environmentally-friendly option that is both made from recycled materials as well as greatly reduces the amount of material wasted. In fact, our shell looks to be almost 40% less material than last year!

MECHANICAL
The braking and steering leads have completed their designs and have successfully modeled them in 3D CAD. This includes creating a bill of materials to allow them to source parts and materials from local shops. They are currently tinkering with small aspects of their design in coordination with the systems lead to ensure proper integration.