New Year, New Team
After a very successful Formula Student UK competition, and well-earned summer break, the team have now returned back to the University of Aberdeen to work on the TAU-20 project. New academic year also means new TAU committee. This year, the TAU-20 committee is composed of many new faces, as well as experienced committee members. This will ensure a flow of new and fresh ideas, as well as maintain TAU Racing's standards for high quality designs and manufacture.
As well as a new committee, the TAU Racing team have also welcomed more than 50 new members, including students from different academic backgrounds from Engineering to Business, and even Geography. This year, the team introduced a new system of "taster sessions" which allowed new members to experience different tasks and departments every week. This does not only provide new members with an overall understanding of how the vehicle works, it also allows them to make informed decisions when choosing their department of interest for the year.
Women in Engineering
Before departing to the Formula Student UK competition, the team also attended a Women in Engineering event organised by TAU Racing's Principal sponsor - CNOOC International. We would like to take this opportunity to thank CNOOC International for inviting us to this great event, and providing us with the opportunity to present our car, as well as the team. The team greatly value the interest received at CNOOC's Aberdeen office and we hope to be back with the TAU-20 car.
Recently, our team members also partook in the University of Aberdeen's Women in Engineering day. This involved showcasing the TAU-19 car, as well as providing information about the team, the Formula Student competition, and engineering experience at the University of Aberdeen as a whole. The team are extremely grateful to be provided the opportunity to promote STEM subjects and diversity within the North East Scotland community, as this is something that greatly aligns with TAU Racing's core values. The team were truly impressed by the level of knowledge and enthusiasm demonstrated by the attendees and are thrilled to share more of our experience at the Aberdeen International School next month, where the team were invited to give a presentation.
MG Owners Club at Drum Castle
In August, TAU Racing also got to attend the team's favourite annual event at Drum Castle, organised by the Aberdeen MG Owners Club. The team enjoyed sharing information about the TAU-19 car, along with TAU Racing's story. We were also pleased to see a lot of interest in our project and we would like to thank MG Owners Club for their continuous support over the past few years, and we look forward to working with them throughout the course of TAU-20 project.
SPE Offshore Europe
Shortly before the start of new academic year, the team attended the SPE Offshore Europe exhibition and conference, alongside our longest standing sponsor, Grampian Fasteners. The event was held at the new P&J live exhibition centre in Aberdeen and accommodated for more than 36,000 attendees, over the course of four days.
SPE Offshore Europe is Europe’s largest expo dedicated to the offshore oil and gas industry. The team experienced great interest in the car and gained further connections in multi-industry networks. The event also provided the TAU Racing members with great insight into the newest trends and innovative technologies in the oil and gas sector, which will be beneficial in their respective degrees. The team are extremely grateful to have been provided the opportunity to attend an event of such magnitude and gain some further insight into the oil and gas sector.
While in attendance, some TAU Racing members also met with Paul Wheelhouse MSP, the Scottish Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, as well as the Principal of the University of Aberdeen, Professor George Boyne, and discussed the team's success at the Formula Student UK competition, as well as aims and objectives for our TAU-20 project.
Team Visit to Whittaker
Last week, the TAU Racing committee got invited to explore Whittaker Engineering's factory in Stonehaven and showcase the TAU-19 car. This provided the team with a valuable insight into the inner workings of a local engineering company. Murray Whittaker, Director of Projects at Whittaker Engineering, shared his views on the role of engineers in the society, as well as the future of the discipline. This was then followed by a guided tour of their impressive manufacturing facilities.
The team was also treated to the surprise of seeing the TAU-19 car placed inside one of the many vast pieces of machinery, believed to be the largest lathe in Scotland. While the TAU-19 car was on display, the team got to speak to the Whittaker staff and their clients about the team's activities and manufacturing of the TAU cars. Welding of our steel space-frame chassis received a great interest, and our new Co-Heads of Chassis also left with some great tips on improvement of our welding procedures.
Coming up
With the TAU-20 project in full swing, and our new Media team hard at worked, we have also refreshed our website and introduced several new concepts to our branding. While you are here, why not also take a moment and see the latest developments? The TAU Racing team also have several events lined up in the calendar and we would hate for you to miss those! Make sure that you keep up to date with our latest updates and activities via our social media channels such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter where we share our weekly progress!
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