A team of 20 B. Tech (ME, EE & ECE) students of Asansol Engineering College, West Bengal named as “Team Scorpions” has successfully developed a racing Go-Kart after 4 months of intense design and fabrication session. This vehicle was designed with the intent of competing in GO Kart Design Challenge (GKDC)-2018, a student design and builds challenge, where premium institutes from the nation apply their engineering skills as their vehicle on the prestigious Kari Motor Speedway, Coimbatore.
The project has been first of its kind and scale which has undergone in Asansol Engineering College, the sheer scale of the project in terms of the design, fabrication, and finance. The project demanded a strenuous amount of dedication and discipline for those involved, as the students involved has to not only design but also to document, manufacture and test the GO Kart vehicle along with simultaneously managing their academic life. This has not only lead students to bridge the gap between theory and practice, but it also evolves their real-life problem-solving capabilities both technical and non-technical. The journey from initiation of the vehicle to the racetrack has not been a smooth one, but “smooth seas never made an experienced sailor”, one of the most crucial parts of executing any project of this scale is that you have to find people of the same thinking, zeal, and dedication to Motorsports, and when it comes to motorsports our country lags amongst the South Eastern Asian countries. So this project targeted not only to develop managerial and technical skills of students but also to inculcate the motorsports culture into them, as what is better than engineering design and manufacturing at its finest combined with the rush of adrenaline that you feel when you are on a race track amongst the finest of creations of man.
The project was steered by a group of Assistant Professors (ME & EE), among them Mr. Dharmbir Prasad was also associated with Supreme as a Technical Advisor. The team countered the technical problems that came with the design and fabrication of the proposed vehicle. The team was lead on by student’s side by Team Captain – Mr. Koushik Sarkar (ME) and Fabrication & Manufacturing Lead – Mr. Sunetra Bhowmik (EE). The in-house developed racing kart has achieved a dry weight of 72 kgs, engine displacement of 125cc, wheelbase of 40 inches and astounding acceleration of 0 to 60 kmph in 3.15 secs, and a top speed of 103 kmph. The team is preparing to participate in “Go Kart Design Challenge-2018”, in order to test the vehicle limits. The vehicle was officially unveiled on 19th of April, 2018 in the college premises. The team is thankful to industry partner Supreme & Co. Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata for its expert advice provided during crucial stages of development. The vehicle being first of the line from the team waits for unveiling an ATV within duration of few weeks; hope the best of support and goodwill from our industry partners.
This particular achievement was highlighted in “Dainik Jagaran”- The Hindi daily.
