Categories
2021-2022 Joint Presentation with AFS

The Gigapress – Trends In High Pressure Die Casting Machines and Lightweight Structural Castings

Presented by the North American Die Casting Association (NADCA)

Available via Microsoft Teams and in-person

Speaker: Paul Brancaleon
Nov. 4, 2021
6:00 PM – Social Hour
7:00 PM – Dinner
8:00 PM – Business Meeting
8:15 PM – Program
Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth
Town Hall (downstairs), 
Frankenmuth, MI 

North American Die Casting Association

Paul Brancaleon, NADCA Director of Research, Education & Technology will share with us Trends In High Pressure Die Casting Machines and Lightweight Structural Castings. Over the past two decades high pressure die casting machines have more than doubled in size. Coupled with progress in materials and process technologies, the size and geometric complexity of die castings have increased as well as quality and performance characteristics. Today, lightweight die castings can be produced with favorable strength and high ductility for structural and crashworthy applications.

This presentation will provide an overview of progress and trends in die casting and describe structural die castings. Examples of conversions from multi-piece assemblies to single lightweight die castings, which result in time, cost, and floor space reduction benefits, will be provided. In addition, an update on additive manufacturing (AM) for die casting die components and joining of die castings by self-piercing rivets will be provided based on NADCA sponsored projects.

Tesla “Gigapress” installation
Categories
2021-2022 Joint Presentation with AFS

2024 GMC Hummer EV

Speaker To Be Announced

Joint Meeting with AFS, ASM, and SAE
Oct. 7, 2021
Zehnders of Frankenmuth

Overview 

The 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV is an all-electric reimagining of one of the most iconic, bad-ass off-road machines of the last century. While the Hummer brand now lives under the GMC umbrella, its unmistakable design and remarkable off-road capabilities are faithfully upheld in EV form. In fact, the latter will arguably be even more impressive thanks to the SUV’s advanced technology, incredible power output, and innovative features, including four-wheel steering, enabling the much ballyhooed crab mode.

The most interesting aspect of the reinvented Hummer is its Ultium battery tech, which provides quick charging times and a massive battery pack that provides an estimated range of 300-plus miles. Inside the cabin, it is visually identical to its pickup-truck counterpart, with a mix of high-tech content and removable roof panels that create an open-air experience.

( Source Car & Driver. Read full article )

Categories
2021-2022

Buicks “Flint Flyers” GRAND SPORT History

Ken Kayser, Author
Saturday, 21-Aug-2021

Meeting cancelled due to COVID restrictions. To be rescheduled

Durant-Dort Factory One, 303 W Water St, Flint, MI 48503

Ken Kayser receives recognition from Mark Pope for Zora Arkus-Duntov Midship Corvette History Legend or Myth

Buick’s “Flint Flyers” Skylark & GRAN SPORT History

From GM’s ’53 Motorama Skylark  Dream Car to the ’87 Turbocharged GNX

David Dunbar Buick’s automobile company in one form or another has survived since 1898. However, to understand Buicks second fifty-year-span from 1953 through 2003 which is the subject matter of this book, one must first delve into Buick’s first fifty-year-span.

William C. “Billy” Durant helped re-found the Buick Motor Company in 1904 and began its racing program in 1905 with famous drivers Barney Oldfield, “Wild” Bob Burman and Louis Chevrolet. Billy Durant founded General Motors on September 16, 1908 with the Buick Motor Co. at its core and Buick’s U.S. Patented Over-Head-Valve engine as its financial juggernaut.

Buick Motor Co. executives Walter P. Chrysler, Charles W. Nash and Walter L. Marr’s FLINT FLYER aeroplane flew high above Flint, Michigan in September 1910 and Buick soon became #1 in the World. The Buick Motor Co. was at the forefront of GM’s new Proving Ground in 1926 and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1929 just as the Great Depression crushed the United States. Buick’s powerful automobiles became the darlings of Hollywood during the 1930’s and the workhorses of World War II in the 1940’s.

In 1953 Buick’s management and its employees all fully expected its second fifty-year-span would be better than its previous fifty-year heritage epitomized in 1907 by William C. Durant’s When better automotive history is made, Buick will make it! Buick Motor Division and GM Styling created the 1953 Buick Skylark Dream car for its mid-century celebration with its brand new “Nailhead” V-8 engine.

Buick produced almost three-million Skylarks from 1953 through 1990 however only 115,163 (3.89%) were actual 1965-1972 “Gran Sport” Muscle Cars. From 1978 through 1987 Buick produced almost 2 million Regals yet only 8,369 (0.43%) were Grand Nationals.

Every Muscle Car devotee knows something about the Chevelle “SS-396”, Pontiac “GTO” and Olds “442” and the 1965 Malibu-SS clan knows all about the 200 highly prized Malibu-SS Z-16 396-in3 375-HP Police Specials. Virtually no one knows about Buick’s 1966 Gran Sport Ultra-High Compression two-hundred Police Specials inspired by Chevrolet’s Z-16 Chevelles.

Only twelve Buick “Pilot” RPO-L78 Promotional Drag-racing Gran Sports of the planned 200 were produced by Buick Engineering in 1966 and one very special FLINT FLYER has survived with its original powertrain and very rare metallic racing brakes… This is its story finally told!

Categories
2021-2022

2021-22 Back to the Bricks – MidMichigan SAE Presents the Harlow H Curtice Award

Sat., Aug. 21, 2021
Durant-Dort Factory One, 303 W Water St, Flint, MI 48503

2021 winner Ken Kayser and the Flint Flyer

The Mid-Michigan Section of SAE International presented the Harlow H. Curtice Hometown Memorial Trophy at Back to the Bricks® celebration in Flint, Michigan.The award was presented to Ken Kasyer’s Flint Flyer Buick, one that Harlow Curtice would likely have enjoyed driving. 

See all photos here

Listen to Ken and others in this WNEM TV5 clip “Mid-Michigan Buick owners talk about what make their car special”

The Mid-Michigan Section of SAE International will again present the Harlow H. Curtice Hometown Memorial Trophy at Back to the Bricks® celebration in Flint, Michigan.The award will be presented to either the Buick or Chevrolet that Harlow Curtice would most likely enjoy driving. The winning car for the Harlow H. Curtice Hometown Memorial Trophy will be selected from the cars on display at Back to the Bricks® by a team of engineers representing the Mid-Michigan Section of SAE. The award will be presented to the winning car owner at the Saginaw Street Central Lot during the afternoon programs. 

Harlow Curtice

Harlow H. Curtice, a long time Flint resident and civic supporter, retired as General Motors 11th President on August 31, 1958. Curtice (nicknamed “Red” for his shock of red hair), is generally remembered fondly — a real achievement for an executive in a field known for its extraordinarily competitive nature. Even in the controversial book “On a Clear Day You Can See General Motors,” which chronicles John Z. DeLorean’s time with GM, Curtice is described as, “warm, flamboyant, exciting,” and as “a man whose mere presence would command attention and stop conversations when he walked into a room” Harlow Curtice became General Manager of Buick in 1934 and was named Executive Vice President of General Motors in September 1949. It was in this position that he approved the 1953 Buick V-8 engine and the 1953 Chevrolet Corvette for production in Flint. Curtice was elected President of GM on February 3, 1953. During his tenure as President, Curtice championed V-8 engines, including the Buick “Nail-head” and the Chevrolet “Small Block.”

In keeping with the vision of Harlow Curtice, the vehicle selected for this Award will feature a combination of the classic design features of the production car with upgrades that enhance the vehicle as do concept cars produced by auto manufacturers. 

To enter your car for Award selection please text a photo and contact information to (810) 265-8365. For more information, contact Bernard Santavy by email SAEMidMichSec@cs.com.

Categories
2021-2022

Formula SAE Racing

Wed.-Sat., May 18-21, 2022
Michigan International Speedway, 12626 US-12, Brooklyn, MI 49230

Details here

About Formula SAE® Series

In 1981, SAE International (formerly known as Society of Automotive Engineers) developed and managed the first Formula SAE® (FSAE®) student competition with assistance of Ron Matthews, Professor at University of Texas. SAE International operated the only Formula SAE competition for 17 years before its partnership with IMeche (Institution of Mechanical Engineers) in England where the brand “Formula Student” was developed. Since its inception, Formula SAE has expanded and includes many spin-off events. In the North America there are three competitions managed by SAE International one in Michigan, California and Ontario, Canada. Internationally, the expansion of Formula SAE/Formula Student brand has exploded to over 20 competitions currently hosted by engineering societies or private business.

The Formula SAE competitions challenge teams of university undergraduate and graduate students to conceive, design, fabricate, develop and compete with small, formula style vehicles. The competition is an engineering education competition that requires performance demonstration of vehicles in a series of events, both off track and on track against the clock. Each competition gives teams the chance to demonstrate their creativity and engineering skills in comparison to teams from other universities around the world.

Teams are to assume that they work for an engineering firm that is designing, fabricating, testing and demonstrating a prototype vehicle. The vehicle should have high performance and be sufficiently durable to successfully complete all the event at the Formula SAE competitions. Each student team design will be judged and evaluated again other competing designs in a series of Static and Dynamic events to determine the vehicle that best meets the design goals and profitably built and marketed.

Formula SAE promotes careers and excellence in engineering as it encompasses all aspects of the automotive industry including research, design, manufacturing, testing, developing, marketing, management and finances.

In 2006, Dartmouth College (partnered with SAE International) created the fuel alternative event Formula Hybrid using Formula SAE cars with gasoline-electric hybrid power plants.

In 2013, Formula SAE saw the implementation of battery electric class to the portfolio already containing internal combustion gasoline.

Categories
2021-2022

Collegiate Chapter Projects

Congratulations Kettering Baja Team! See all photos…

Presentation Competition
Speaker: SAE Collegiate Members
Program Chair: Mark Pope
Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022
5:00 PM Social Hour
6:00 PM Dinner
7:00 PM Program

Bavarian Inn Lodge Conference Center, Frankenmuth, MI 

Please join us as we observe “National Engineers Week” with a banquet and technical program featuring presentations by students from Central Michigan University, Kettering University, Saginaw Valley State University, and The University of Michigan – Flint.

The students are members of SAE Collegiate Chapter project teams which compete in the SAE Collegiate Design Series http://students.sae.org/cds/ The design series has grown from a national competition to an international competition featuring students from Asia, Europe, North and South America.

During this year’s banquet, the teams present will compete for the annual “SAE Collegiate Cup” presented by the Mid-Michigan Section. This event’s competition will be judged based upon the quality of the oral presentation of the team’s “Design Series” project.

Special Guest Speaker David Bakos has been Executive Director, Global Aftersales Engineering & Service Operations at General Motors since February 2015. Prior to this Dave was Executive Director,Sales and Marketing for GM
Customer Care and Aftersales. Dave began his career in 1979 as a Cooperative Student with Pontiac Motor Division. He earned a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.

Categories
2021-2022

Charging & Fueling the Next 100 Years

More photos available on flickr…

Speaker: Carla Bailo
President and CEO, Center for Automotive Research
Monday, May 16, 2022
Durant-Dort Factory One, 303 W Water St, Flint, MI

Carla Bailo

6:00 PM Social Hour
7:00 PM Dinner
8:00 PM Program

Carla Bailo is a leader in engineering and vehicle program management, with 35 years of experience in the automotive industry. As the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) President and CEO, she leads the overall mission, manages day-to-day business, and is the face for the automotive industry in several venues. In her role prior to CAR, she was Ohio State University’s Assistant Vice President for Mobility Research and Business Development. In this role, she accelerated the university’s sustainable mobility and transportation innovation, while integrating related research and education across Ohio State’s academic units. She also led Ohio State’s involvement as the primary research partner for Smart Columbus, a $140 million program to transform central Ohio into the nation’s premier transportation innovation region. Bailo was the 2016- 2018 Vice President of Automotive for SAE International. She has 35 years of experience in the automotive industry, including 25 years at Nissan. In her most recent role at Nissan, she served as Senior Vice President of Research and Development for Nissan North America Inc.

The presentation will address the changes in the Mobility Industry as vehicle manufacturers address new Smart Mobility Goals. These goals include Zero accidents, Zero carbon footprint, and Zero traveler stress. Discussed will be the paradigm shift from private vehicle ownerships to shared ownership. Currently there is Advanced Driver Assistance on all new vehicles which will transition into Autonomous shared vehicles.

The shift to electric vehicles will be analyzed. Because of range anxiety with battery powered vehicles the future of fuel cells will be presented. Internal Combustion Engines may be utilized until 2050 and the use of IC power in Autonomous vehicles will be reviewed.

The transition from IC powered “Dumb” vehicles to alternate energy “Smart” vehicles will be discussed as a trial and error development system to find “How good is good enough” using simulation software rather than building actual vehicles. A Q&A session will follow the presentation.

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial