TEACHERS GUIDE

Race Season 2011 -2012

TEACHERS GUIDE

Race Season 2013/2014

WHAT IS THE F1 IN SCHOOLS CHALLENGE?

The F1 in Schools Challenge is a global multi-disciplinary competition, open to all secondary schools in
the Republic of Ireland. It challenges secondary school students to design, build and race miniature
compressed air-powered balsa wood Formula 1 cars of the future. Student teams will compete against
each other in a National championship to determine the best engineered and fastest car in Ireland. The
challenge inspires students to use IT to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacture,
branding, graphics, leadership/teamwork, media skills, sponsorship, marketing and financial strategy,
and apply them in a practical, imaginative, competitive and exciting way.
Design will play a critical role in the success of your teams - both in the design of the car itself and the
people involved in bringing that design from the initial idea right through to the starting grid. Team
members must be carefully chosen and trained to work together, using cutting edge design software
and the latest in manufacturing technology.
Students are encouraged to use software tools to manage their projects and to develop a project
website to communicate how their designs evolved.
The competition runs each year from September to April. Regional Finals are held in February and March
with the National Final following in April. Winners of the National Final are eligible to compete at the
World Finals in Autumn 2014.

WHO RUNS IT?

The F1 in Schools Challenge is managed by the Irish Computer Society in Partnership with Discover
Science and Engineering.
ICS SKILLS is the skills and certification division of the Irish Computer Society and it is ICS SKILLS which
manages F1 in Schools. ICS SKILLS is a registered charity and runs F1 in Schools on a not for profit basis.

F1 in Schools encourages students to take responsibility for their learning and makes
them independent learners Aidan Keane, Teacher, Coachford College

F1 in Schools prepared students for their school work and gave them experience in areas
of ICT and engineering which they would not have got if they did not enter this
competition. Declan Mullins, Teacher, Castleblayney College

Pic 1: Competing teachers at the 2012 F1 in Schools National Finals

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Race Season 2013/2014

WHY HAS THE CHALLENGE BEEN INTRODUCED?

The F1 in Schools Challenge project aims to help change inaccurate perceptions of engineering, science
and technology by creating an exciting learning environment for young people to develop informed
views about careers in these disciplines. For junior cycle students the competition offers a fun and
exciting introduction to many of the skills they could choose to develop at Leaving Cert level, while
senior cycle students will have an opportunity to practice those skills in an integrated and challenging
manner.
CAD/CAM, CNC and VR systems are now common place in the manufacturing industry, which is why it is
so important for the engineers and designers of the future to get to grips with such software packages
early on. Students using CAD/CAM, CNC and VR software are able to design, test and manufacture their
own creations using a computer.
Primarily, the F1 in Schools Challenge provides students with an ideal opportunity to experience the very
latest developments in manufacturing technology:
CAD (Computer Aided Design) encourages students to think, explore and visualise their ideas
in three-dimensions, using features such as complex curve modelling and surface rendering,
alongside more traditional orthographic presentations.
CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) packages, such as QuickCAM and UGSCAM, create an
environment where CAD designs can be developed and prepared for automated
manufacturing processes. Most CAM packages include a wizard based interface that allows
toolpaths to easily be plotted over complex 3D shapes.
CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) packages, such as SolidWorks COSMOSFloWorks
software allow computer models of car designs to be analysed, with regard to aerodynamic
efficiency, then modified to further increase performance before anything is physically
manufactured..
CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) Machines, such as the Denford MicroRouter, allow
processed CAD drawings to be manufactured to high degrees of accuracy, fit and finish.
Through direct experience of the technology and processes required to complete this project, it is
hoped that more students will be encouraged to explore and/or pursue a career in our design,
engineering, manufacturing and technology sectors.

F1 in Schools Challenge

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Race Season 2013/2014

KEY STEPS

The key steps of the Challenge are below. Later in the document there is further detail on the stages.
01 / PLAN
Students form an F1 team of 3-6 students. Register and brainstorm. Put your best ideas together in a
five-page plan, proving why their team should be selected to have their car manufactured. If the teams
bid is accepted, proceed to step 2.
02 / DESIGN
Using 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) software, design an F1 car of the future to the set specifications,
just like in Formula One.
03 / ANALYSE
Aerodynamics are analysed for drag coefficiency in a virtual wind tunnel using Computational Fluid
Dynamics (CFD).
04 / MAKE
Using 3D CAM (Computer Aided Manufacture) software a CNC router converts the car design into a
physical car. If your school does not have a CNC router we will team you with a participating 3rd level.
05 / FINISH
Each team kits their car out with your team colours, logo and high-quality finish.
06 / RACE
Race your car!! Teams should provide supporting evidence of their design, a verbal presentation and
display stand.
HOW ARE THE TEAMS ORGANISED?

Each team must have between three and six students.

Each school can enter as many teams as they wish for the Qualifying Stage (five page plan), but
only a maximum of two from each category (Junior or Senior Cycle) will progress through to the
Regional Final stage.
Each team member should be assigned one or more of the following roles: team manager,
resources manager, manufacturing engineer, design engineer, graphic designer or marketing
and communications manager.
Each team should have one teacher coordinator.
There are two levels of entry, Junior and Senior Cycle.
HOW ARE TEAMS JUDGED?

Qualifying Stage
Teams five page plans are judged to select approximately 100 teams to progress to
Manufacturing and Regional Final. Marking scheme contained in Rules and Regulations
Document.
At Regional and National Final Stage teams are judged in five (5) main judging categories:
Specification Judging
Portfolio and Display Judging
Engineering Judging
Verbal Presentation Judging
Racing
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Judging score cards

The F1 in Schools judging score cards provide detailed information in relation to what the Judges
will be looking for. The key performance indicators are used by the judges in awarding points during
the judging activities. These score cards are used by the judges during the competition.
The 2013/14 judging score cards can be found at the back of the Rules and Regulations document.

KEY DATES | RACE SEASON 2013/2014

Sep - Nov
nd

Team registration and preparation of 5-page plan

Nov 22

Deadline for Qualifying round submissions

Nov - Jan

Design and analysis stage

Jan

Manufacture of cars

Jan - Feb

Finishing of cars and portfolios

March

Teams on the grid for Regional Finals

April

Race for chequered flag at National Finals

TEAM PRIZES

There will be separate awards for:

The Overall Winner of the Challenge
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Winners in each Category
The Fastest Car
Best Engineered Car
Best Newcomer
Best Use of ICT
Best Team Website
Best Digital Marketing
Best Team Marketing and Sponsorship
The Grand Prize winners receive:
Opportunity to represent Ireland at the F1 in Schools World Finals
2000 for the winning school
and much more!
The International Trip
The overall winning team from the 2013/2014 season are eligible to represent Ireland at the F1 in
Schools Technology Challenge World Finals in Autumn 2014, at a location yet to be decided. There,
they will compete against teams from over 34 countries across the globe for the prestigious Bernie
Ecclestone Trophy.

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Teachers Guide

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Race Season 2013/2014

STAGE ONE SCHOOL REGISTRATION

Register your school for the F1 in Schools Challenge on our website (www.f1inschools.ie). You
can keep updated by visiting our website regularly or viewing our Facebook page on for all the
details and deadlines you need to know about the Challenge.
To complete the school registration you must complete the Challenge Agreement, which
commits you to entering at least one team to the competition. In the registration process you
will be asked for your personal email address, this is so we can forward you updated information
on the competition. You will also be asked to enter the team managers email address, this is so
we can also forward them information on the competition and that they can have their own
login to the website to register the remaining team members.
Teams must be registered by 22nd November 2013. Registration is online at www.F1inSchools.ie
STAGE TWO CAD SOFTWARE

Check your school has access to a suitable 3D CAD software package. Note that the software
must be able to meet the design and presentation criteria outlined in the Rules and Regulations.
Many schools have received Solid Works software through the T4 subjects (Design &
Communications Graphics, Architectural Technology, Engineering Technology and Technology),
this software is suitable for the competition.
If your schools does not have access to 3D CAD software for the Challenge, through F1 in Schools
Global Premier Software Partner, Autodesk, your school can receive a free copy of their
Autodesk CAD software for all schools who participate in the challenge. Details on how to
obtain your free copy of Autodesk CAD software from F1 in Schools is available on the website
(www.f1inschools.ie).
If you are unsure if your software is suitable for the Challenge contact f1@ics.ie
STAGE THREE INTRODUCING THE CHALLENGE

There are a number of ways that the Challenge may be implemented in schools. Our new video
on www.f1inschools.ie is a good starting point to give everyone a taste of whats involved. In
some schools groups of students get together and ask the teacher to allow them to register for
the competition in other cases the teacher picks the students most interested. Organise any
interested students into teams of 3-6, positively encouraging mixed gender groups.
If the teacher wishes to include the whole class we would recommend that multiple teams of 3-6
are formed in class and work on designs in their own teams. Each school may enter as many
teams as they wish for the Qualifying Stage, but a maximum of two teams from each category
(Junior / Senior Cycle) will be allowed to progress through to the Regional Finals.
Teachers can use the videos and presentation supplied on the www.F1inSchools.ie website to
introduce the initiative and stimulate interest amongst students. Attention should be brought to
the relevant Rules and Regulations document.

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Race Season 2013/2014

STAGE FOUR: DESIGNING THE CAR USING CAD SOFTWARE

What kind of car do we design?

There will be two categories of car in this years F1 in Schools Challenge:
D-Type Car: The body of the standard D-Type
car is made from a single block of balsa
wood. Junior Cycle teams must produce the
D-Type car.
D-Type Car
Formula One Car: The more complex Formula
One car body must also be made from
a single block of balsa wood, although the
wings can be made from
a separate piece of material. Senior Cycle
teams must produce the Formula One car.

Formula One Car

If you have any doubts about which car you should produce, please dont hesitate to ask the F1 in
Schools team by emailing: f1@ics.ie.
Your team must use 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) software to produce your ideas and model
them in 3D. Hand drawn sketches are allowed at Qualifying Stage.
CAD software templates and dimensions for the balsa wood blocks are downloadable from the F1
in Schools website (www.f1inschools.ie). When designing your F1 racing car, bear in mind that the
extreme ends of the block must be left clear for attachment of the manufacturing jig fixtures.

STAGE 5 - QUALIFYING STAGE

Due to the increasing numbers entering the competition and a limited number of manufacturing
slots that are available it has been necessary to introduce a Qualifying Stage.
Teams develop a 5 page plan which is judged to select approximately 100 teams to progress to
Manufacturing and Regional Final stage. Entry to this Qualifying Stage will be open to all schools
and entry is free.
The Qualifying Stage will be judged on the submission of a 5 page plan, by 22nd November 2013.
Further details for this stage can be found in the Qualifying Stage section of the Rules and
Regulations documents.
The teams that score highest in the Qualifying Stage will proceed through to the Regional Finals.
All schools will be notified by email if they have/have not succeeded in progressing through to
the Regional Final stage. There is a fee of 80 per team for those who qualify for the Regional
Final stage.
Each plan should give details of team members, show some areas of teams research, display
teams initial design ideas and show some elements of their portfolio e.g. timeline, branding
etc
Teams ideas and plan should be original; however there are exemplar plans downloadable from
www.F1inSchools.ie

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Plan maximum 5 pages (A4)

All team plans must be submitted by 5pm 22nd November 2013
Plans should be submitted by email to f1@ics.ie or by post to:
ICS, 87-89 Pembroke Road, Dublin 4.
The plan should consist of the following:
Introduction (1 page)
Research (1 page)
o A look at the different ideas behind making your car the Fastest.
Design (1-2 pages)
o Pencil sketch will suffice, but 3D CAD more advantageous (so long as it links with
the ideas of your design through your research!)
Resources planning (1-2 pages)
o Outline plan to include, for example: timeline, budget, marketing etc..
Winning teams innovate!!
Formula One is constantly innovating in all areas of the Formula One business i.e. design,
research, marketing. Each team has the option of an additional 10% of their overall marks for the
plan, for an innovative idea. For further breakdown of marks for the plan view the Qualifying
Stage section of Rules and Regulations document.
STAGE 6 - ANALYSE / TEST

Teams may also wish to evaluate a variety of car designs, or car parts, using computational fluid
dynamics (CFD) software.
If your school has a copy of Autodesk you should have a copy of Autodesk SIM CFD , fluid flow
simulation. If you have Solid Works you should also have included a copy of COSMOS. COSMOS
FloWorks can be used to quickly analyze the Race Car Block part which is used in the Race Car
Assembly.
CFD or Computational Fluid Dynamics software calculates how fluid, (air or water) flows through
a part or assembly model. Based on the calculated velocity field, you can find problem areas in
your design and improve them before you manufacture any parts.
Details of how to obtain your **free** copy of Autodesk CAD software is available on
www.F1inSchools.ie.
STAGE SEVEN - COMPUTER AIDED M ANUFACTURE

JAN

**This step is completed by Make Centres (3rd level), if your school does not have access to a CNC
router.
When your students have completed their F1 racing car designs, the CAD drawings must be
converted into a CNC program. The CNC program is formatted using standard G and M code
language, used by CNC machines for plotting all their movement and cutting operations. CAM
software packages can be used to help automate this process.
Many schools do not have the machinery to manufacture their own cars and for this purpose we
have teamed up with Make Centres, these are third level institutions who have agreed to
participate and convert your teams designs to a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) program and
manufacture them using CAM (Computer Aided Manufacture).
CAM software turns 3D designs into X, Y and Z coordinates, the tool path that controls the
movements of the 3-Dimensional routing machines cutting tool. You may wish to contact the
college whom we team you with if you wish to know more about the process. For example, will

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Race Season 2013/2014

two separate CNC programmes need to be created one for cutting the right side elevation of
the F1 racing car, the second for cutting the left side elevation or will a mirror command suffice.
Manufacture will occur in an F1 in Schools approved Make Centre. You will receive notice from F1
in Schools as to the location of your local Make Centre. If your school has a CNC machinery to
produce the car body, you can create your own car, but please let F1 in Schools know (f1@ics.ie).
The 3D design files should be sent to a Make Centre electronically. F1 in Schools will send you on
details of the person to contact in your relevant Make Centre, a deadline for submission on files
to the Make Centre and the file type for your teams design to be submitted to Make Centre e.g.
.stl, .step etc. The CNC programmes produced by your Make Centre will then be manufactured at
the Make Centre. You may wish to arrange a visit to the college to see your designs being
manufactured.
If you intend to manufacture at your school, ensure your CNC machine meets the specification
required for construction. Check against items such as your machine working envelope,
maximum spindle speeds, available router bits etc. by referring to both your original CAD
drawings and the parameters defined in your CNC program.
You will also need to purchase or construct a jig fixture, to hold the balsa wood block during
machining. This will also make it much easier to configure any offsets, since the block can be
accurately replaced in the machine working area. Remember, you will probably have to load and
run a CNC program that machines one side of the car, then remove, revolve and replace the
block, before loading and running the second CNC program that machines the opposite side.
Offset configuration is the MOST important time to be accurate, since any mistakes at this point
could easily damage your material or equipment.
STAGE EIGHT FINISHING

JAN - M AR

Finishing should involve the following steps:

Smooth down the balsa wood car body with rough / medium grade glass paper.
Finish using a fine grade glass paper.
Apply a coat of sanding sealer if available. Sand lightly when dry.
Apply several coats of paint (you may want to undercoat it first).
Decorate the car body
Only a limited amount of hand finishing of the body is allowed. Any major hand finishing may
result in team disqualification. This will be at the Judges discretion. We expect all F1 racing cars
to be completed with a high quality paint finish, including the application of any graphics,
sponsorship or liveries, where deemed appropriate.
STAGE NINE PRODUCTION OF MODEL CAR

JAN - M AR

Standard wheels and axles will be included in your Car Kit when it is sent to you in December. It is
optional to use these standard components and teams are free to design/manufacture their own
components once they meet the specifications as per Rules and Regulations document.
Ball bearings are permitted and wheel material is unrestricted.

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Race Season 2013/2014

STAGE TEN RACING EVENTS

M ARCH AND APRIL

The top teams will proceed through from the Qualifying Stage to the Regional Final stage. You
will be informed by email when and where your Regional Final will take place, together with any
specific requirements and arrangements for the event. Please ensure you confirm your intention
to attend the Final at least 2 weeks before the date of the final.
Information regarding any race event will also be posted on the F1 in Schools website
(www.f1inschools.ie) and emailed to the registered email address.
REGIONAL AND NATIONAL FINAL STAGE

For teams successfully getting through to the Regional final stage the following should be
compiled:
At regional and national final stages each team must produce a design portfolio which
details the design, production and evaluation process including, initial ideas, design
development, manufacture and evidence of testing and evaluation. Max 20 pages (A3).
At regional and national final stages each team must supply a 1st or 3rd angle
orthographic projection and a graphic rendering of their final design, both produced
using a 3D CAD package.
At regional and national final stages teams must prepare a verbal presentation on their
work about the design and development of their final F1 racing car design. 5 minutes
will be allocated to present to the judges.
The judges score sheets that will be in use at the Regional and National event are
contained at the back of the Rules and Regulations document. Teams should make sure
they are familiar with what the judges are looking for in each of the judged areas to
ensure maximum score.

Points Allocation
Specifications
CAD CAM Analysis
Quality of Manufacture
Portfolio
Pit Display & Marketing
F1 Car Design Process
Technique (VP)
Composition (VP)
Subject Matter (VP)
Time Trials
Reaction Racing
Knock-Out Racing*

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EDUCATIONAL CONTENT

The F1 in Schools Technology Challenge is specifically aimed at secondary level schools.

The Challenge offers the perfect opportunity for teachers and students to explore the world of
CAD/CAM/CNC and allows students to experience the entire design process from beginning to
end.

HOW TO OBTAIN SOFTWARE, HARDWARE AND CONSUMABLES

If you would like to purchase any equipment for the challenge please contact:
Sureweld Educational Division, Fonthill, Lucan, Co. Dublin
Tel: 01 6266 242
To obtain your free copy of Autodesk CAD software from F1 in Schools visit the website
(www.f1inschools.ie).
M ANUFACTURING CENTRES

Teams will be paired with a Manufacturing Centre (3rd level institution) by F1 in Schools, if you do
not have facilities in your school.
ENQUIRIES AND QUESTIONS

All questions and queries about the F1 in Schools Technology Challenge should be emailed to: f1@ics.ie
For the very latest information, visit the F1 in Schools Technology Challenge Website
(www.f1inschools.ie).

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www.F1inSchools.ie