Elta Fans encourages automotive enthusiasm of student engineers
Elta Fans helped students from Portsmouth University participate in the international Formula Student competition for designing and building a single-seat racing car by providing scrap metal and the use of cutting facilities at its Fareham factory. The competition was introduced to the UK in 1998, and Elta became involved when undergraduate Dave Hague, currently studying for his masters in mechanical engineering, was on a placement with the company and part of a team of Portsmouth students taking part in the competition.
He explains, ‘Elta gave us free run of the scrap metal from the fan-manufacturing process, which went into building the car’s pedals and suspension, as well as being used in other general areas of the car. Elta also provided the material for the brake discs and cut them into shape using their plasma cutting machine.’
David Osgerby, managing director of Elta Fans, says, ‘When Dave approached me about the sponsorship, it took me back to my early days in engineering. Competitions such as Formula Student are an excellent bridge between academia and business. It offers a real-life exercise in design and manufacturer, teaching not only good design but also the business elements of automotive engineering.
