June 2023 – For several years, the Belcan Peoria office has actively engaged with Bradley University, demonstrating their commitment to fostering educational growth and professional development. The Peoria team’s involvement ranges from active participation in career fairs to providing invaluable mentorship to students and overseeing their transformative capstone projects.
Belcan has played an impactful role as mentors to the Formula SAE racing team as part of the university’s capstone program since 2021, dedicating their expertise and guidance to the students.
The Formula SAE racing team is focused on designing and building a high-performance formula-style race car. Under Belcan’s mentorship, the students push the limits of engineering innovation, constantly refining their car’s aerodynamics and overall performance.
While the university offers the students access to their shop facilities, the young engineers are responsible for securing sponsors and raising funds for their project on their own.
Belcan’s financial support, along with contributions from other companies, allowed the Formula SAE team to gain access to vital resources and parts to enhance their racing vehicle, such as a high-performance supercharger compressor, steering rack, and wheel hubs. These investments enabled the team to optimize their kart’s performance, enhancing overall racing efficiency.
Belcan’s involvement went beyond financial support. The Peoria team collaborated closely with the students, particularly in the development of a wiring harness. Belcan’s technical experts actively engaged with the Formula SAE team in building a wiring harness specifically tailored for their kart. During these collaborative sessions, the Belcan team worked side by side with the students, teaching them the intricacies of wiring harness construction. They navigated through the complexities of routing wires, connecting components, and ensuring electrical functionality. This hands-on experience allowed the students to gain a comprehensive understanding of wiring harness design and implementation.
Other Belcan team members provide support and guidance throughout their journey- supporting the students at the shop, actively engaging with them to address their needs, ensuring access to resources, and help.
The highlight of the capstone project for the Formula SAE racing team was showcasing their kart at Formula SAE Michigan Racing in Brooklyn, MI in May. While an unforeseen rule technicality prevented the team from participating in the race itself, their kart drew significant attention. It stood out as the sole carbureted kart, having a distinctive feature—an operational choke lever—and a carburetor equipped with an accelerator pump. The team’s kart was the only one with a true dual exhaust system, which attracted many visitors to their pit eager to inquire about the unique sound it produced.
Exciting opportunities lie ahead for the Formula SAE racing team, as they have received invitations to several upcoming events this fall, including the Kansas State Formula and the Rock Island Grand Prix. With these engagements on the horizon, the team has set their sights on dedicating the fall months to refining and perfecting their car.
In 2023, the Belcan Peoria office embraced an additional influential role as mentors to another talented team, the Baja SAE team.
Unlike the Formula SAE team, the Baja SAE team’s primary objective lies in conquering off-road obstacles, navigating through rugged terrains, and showcasing the kart’s resilience and ability to overcome diverse challenges. The vehicle is tested on durability, suspension, traction, and maneuverability in demanding off-road conditions.
The students successfully completed the kart’s design and chassis, setting a solid foundation for the project’s future development. Belcan played a crucial role in assisting the team by facilitating the procurement of essential components, including the engine and various chassis parts, and helped ensure the team had the necessary resources to propel their project forward. However, due to time constraints, the Baja SAE team was unable to fully assemble the kart and meet the requirements for the competition happening in May.
Looking ahead, the Baja SAE team will resume their work in the upcoming semester, picking up where they left off. With the foundation laid and the essential components acquired, the students will have the opportunity to focus on integrating the remaining parts and completing the kart.
Witnessing the ingenuity and determination of these young minds as they transform raw materials into a fully functioning kart has been truly inspiring for the Belcan team. It symbolizes the power of imagination and the limitless potential of human creativity.
Over the course of several years, the Belcan Peoria office has welcomed the exceptional talent of several students from the Formula SAE racing team as interns. The internships have provided an immersive and invaluable experience, allowing the students to apply their classroom knowledge in a professional setting and further develop their skills.
