Simuleon assisted in realizing weight reduction of 54%

Case Study: NovaBike racing team reducing 54% weight reduction by using Abaqus

Simuleon, the Added Value reseller of SIMULIA FEM & Simulation Software, supports the NovaBike motor racing team of Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in gaining a weight reduction of 54% of their motor frame. The NovaBike project is a sustainable and innovative student project to design and build a high-tech racing motorcycle powered by the environmental friendly bio-ethanol.
Simuleon’s goal is to support innovative projects with simulation software, training and consulting to overcome their design challenges with maximum result.

At the start of the project Simuleon assisted the project team to enhance the aerodynamics, increase engine power and reduce the weight of the steel frame. By using these innovations the NovaBike teams are racing at the top in the Dutch and European Supermono Championship.

NovaBike is always striving for maximum performance and is constantly looking for new and creative ideas to get to the top. One of the latest improvement is a motor frame made of carbon fiber to reduce the weight of the motor even further. Simuleon supported the design team by providing the required Simulia Software and trained them to use the software optimally. As a result, the team was able to perform advanced laminate analysis to create the right carbon fiber material with the required engineering properties like, in-plane stiffness, bending stiffness, strength, weight, and coefficient of thermal expansion. The result is a stiff motor frame with a weight reduction of 54% with respect to the previous frame made of steel.

“Without the SIMULIA Abaqus software we definitely couldn’t have created the composite material laminate used in the lightweight frame.” According to Lisa Veltman, Engineer of the NovaBike project team.
The new frame is already in production and is ready for the next race in Germany on August 23.

About NovaBike project

NovaBike is the student motorcycle racing team of the Delft University of Technology. The TU Delft student teams have a long history of developing exceptional vehicles. All of these vehicles use a sustainable power source. As such, the vehicles benefit from research into sustainable energy and powertrains, and provide a platform for testing and further research. One of these unique vehicles is the NovaBike. The NovaBike has been specially developed as a proof of concept for bio-ethanol powered motorcycles. And what is better proving ground than the racetrack?