• The team, made up of students from the Carlos III University of Madrid, has been competing this year in Formula Student.

• IMDEA Materials is one of the team’s collaborators, providing the necessary resources to carry out complex additive manufacturing processes.

The excitement and adrenaline of the racetrack may seem worlds away from studying for a PhD in the labs of a scientific institute like IMDEA Materials.

However, research engineer Adrián Cotobal has managed to bridge these two seemingly different worlds through his participation in Formula Student as a member of the team from Carlos III University of Madrid (UC3M).

An international engineering competition, Formula Student involves university teams that design, build, and race their own cars. Cotobal is part of the UC3M team as their Stress Engineer, a role he has been able to take on, thanks largely to the knowledge he gained on additive technologies during his Final Degree Project (TFG) at IMDEA Materials.

“Specifically, I am responsible for generative design, simulation, and the production of complex parts using 3D metal printing,” the researcher explained.

“Thanks to my TFG at IMDEA Materials on the development of high-entropy alloys using advanced technologies like Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), we realised that this technology could be useful for the team, and we quickly set up a collaboration,” he added.

At IMDEA Materials, Cotobal is a member of the Sustainable Powder Technologies research group, led by Prof. José Manuel Torralba. As part of this group, he began working with LPBF technology, an additive manufacturing process that uses a laser to melt and fuse powdered materials layer by layer, creating complex metallic parts.

In addition to Cotobal’s individual participation as a member of the MAD Formula Team, IMDEA Materials, as an institute, has provided the necessary means to carry out the complex manufacturing processes of parts using LPBF. These are challenging processes, requiring careful preparation of the materials and maintenance of the equipment.

This season, IMDEA Materials has been an R&D collaborator for the team in the use of this technology, resulting in several parts that are being used in competitions, particularly various supports for the car’s cooling system.

It is a collaboration that has played an important role in the team’s success, with the MAD Formula Team celebrating outstanding achievements in this year’s Formula Student Netherlands competition. The team secured first place in the Cost, Design, Business, and Acceleration categories, as well as second place in Autocross.

“We also achieved a Third Overall Prize in this competition, which is a great achievement for our team,” Cotobal highlighted.

Cotobal holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering with a master’s in Mechanical and Aerospace Design. However, he emphasised that the MAD Formula Team is not just for engineering students, but also welcomes students from other disciplines.

“You don’t need to study engineering to be part of the team. There are 11 departments, so if you’re motivated and think you can fit into one of them, I encourage anyone to apply through the forms that open in September,” said Cotobal.

“Being part of the MAD Formula Team not only offers the excitement of seeing the single-seater racing or the competition results but also provides unique hands-on experience and specialized knowledge that are highly valued in the job market.”

“The most rewarding part of being a member of the MAD Formula Team is seeing how, with hard work, good organization, and a shared goal, we manage to build a competitive race car. Representing UC3M in European competitions is immensely gratifying,” he concluded.

You can learn more about the MAD Formula Team on their website, here.