Helping to create tomorrow’s mobility
Students around the world are working on modernising mobility for better sustainability in the future. They often organise themselves into teams at their university and even compete against each other in international competitions. HELUKABEL supports some of the teams by supplying them with the connection technology they need for their quite often spectacular innovative developments.
For example, “Rennschmiede Pforzheim”, from the University of Pforzheim, Germany, has received cables and accessories from HELUKABEL. The team has been participating in Formula Student, an international student engineering competition for over 10 years. Each year they develop a racing car from scratch – initially with an internal combustion engine but since 2021, with an electric drive. They take their car to various events around the world, for example to the Hockenheim Ring in Germany. Each team’s speedster competes in various categories such as acceleration, endurance and autocross. Technical and business aspects are also judged by the jury.
Cables and wires for the young designers
The team is currently in the middle of designing its latest race car: the RSP23. HELUKABEL products are used in the cable harness, for example. The shift to an electric drive and the increasing complexity of vehicle electronics have recently jacked up demand for cables, ranging from sensor, power and signal lines to high voltage cables that power the drive train. A broad-based network of sponsors and technology partners is essential for the students, and at the same time a good opportunity for them to meet potential employers for their post-university careers. Alongside Rennschmiede Pforzheim, HELUKABEL also sponsors the High-Octane Motorsports Team at the Friedrich Alexander University in Nuremberg, Germany. Among other things, the cable specialists at Windsbach are making them a special single conductor capable of withstanding micro vibrations to significantly improve durability.
Tweaking and racing are also happening in the USA. Here, the competition is called Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE). The concept is the same: Student teams develop electric drive racing cars and compete with them on the racetrack. The HELUKABEL USA subsidiary sponsors the Illini Formula Electric Team (IFE) from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. Last year students from various areas of study were able to implement an all-wheel drive in their vehicle for the first time. This was a big step for the up-and-coming engineers, bearing in mind that a technological shift of this kind also required new constructions and parts. Thanks to its extensive portfolio, HELUKABEL was able to provide the team with exactly the right parts. HELUKABEL USA is also sponsoring the Rutgers Formula Racing Team from Rutgers University in New Jersey for the 2023-24 season.
From electric bike to solar boat
In the Netherlands there are two-wheelers on the road with just as much power. The HELUKABEL subsidiary has been sponsoring the Electric Superbike Twente Team for two years now. The students specialise in the development of electric drive motorbikes and can already boast four successful models. Their current jewel, the Delta-XE, features 200 HP and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in less than three seconds. At a competition in Finland last year, the team even set a record! Top speeds of 265 km/h made the Delta-XE the world’s fastest electric motorbike to date. In association with HELUKABEL, the students were also allowed to present their development at the World of Technology & Science Trade Fair in Utrecht, The Netherlands. This was a truly wonderful and unforgettable experience.
Industry engages with talent
For HELUKABEL, sponsoring up-and-coming designers is important for several reasons. “Firstly, we are directly involved in developments that might change the future of mobility and learn a lot about the needs of the industry,” explains Ömer Durak, head of cable construction at the HELUKABEL plant in Windsbach. “Secondly, through the teams we meet lots of bright minds who are much sought-after by graduate employers. If any of them decide to come and work for us, that’s definitely a positive side effect.” No further commitments are planned at the moment, admits Durak with a grin: “After all, we don’t want to distort competition.”
You can also find this and many other exciting articles in the current issue #13 of our customer magazine POWER. Read it now!