At the ‘2017 Self-made Automobile Contest for College Students,’ which was held at the Saemangeum Automobile Racing Center for three days from Aug. 10 to 12, the Skywheel, consisting of twelve students from the School of Mechanical and Mobile Engineering that is part of CK-1 and KIU-MI enterprise, won the encouragement award in the Baja (Off-Road Type) division.

The KSAE Self-made Automobile Contest for College Students, which happens every summer, is hosted by the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers (KSAE) and Korean Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (KAMA) and sponsored by Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, and Renault Samsung. Approximately 2300 students from 102 universities and 180 teams participated in this year’s contest.

The self-made car built by the Skywheel participating in the Baja division, was produced in a way that complements existing vehicles. Leakages from the fuel hose connected to the fuel tank, and a decrease in stability due to the light weight of the vehicle were the problems of the existing cars. The black fuel tank, which absorbs heat well, was painted in silver as it does not absorb heat well, so the volume and pressure of gasoline was reduced, and the leakage of fuel can be prevented by fixing the fuel pump joint. In addition, the cowl (the front panel part connected with the front window) was made using a 1.6 mm thick steel plate instead of the 1 mm thick steel plate, and the weight was increased to improve the stability of driving. All the team members were able to discover even small problems and found solutions by revising them, which has led to good results.

Park Ji-Hyeon (College of Automobile Convergence), a representative of the Skywheel, said, “I am glad that I participated in the competition for the first time and achieved good grades although I didn’t choose Off Road tires. I was able to collaborate with my friends who participated in it, and everyone was enthusiastic about the car. With this award, I will do my best to get better results”

Students didn’t go to sleep until 4 or 5 am on several occasions, as they wished to make a perfect car. Even after finishing making the car, they deliberately visited places under harsh conditions and continued the commissioning. On a day of heavy rains, they turned around the Gyeongsan Citizens’ Playground and also in the gravelly field of a bus garage. Last year the car was disqualified from the braking test, so they could not participate in the contest. Thus, they tried to pass the test this year. Eventually, the car passed the braking test, and they joined this year’s competition, winning the encouragement prize.

The Skywheel students are currently working hard to build a car for the Baja competition and another for the Fomula (On Road Type) competition. They are quite busy preparing for next year’s contest. Some students who did nothing but just watched decided to participate in the contest, and already 20 students have gathered. Five of these students, who postponed the military service starting next year, are ready for the automobile production, hoping to win the contest. They plan to stay in the camp during this winter vacation and immerse themselves in the car production and performance improvement.