University of Michigan Solar Car at NAIAS

The University of Michigan’s Solar Car Team is gearing up for this summer’s American Solar Challenge, a 7-day solar car race from Tulsa to Chicago to be held in late June this year. The U of M team has high hopes for this race as they are 5 time champions. U of M’s 2009 solar car, Infinium, placed 3rd out of 38 teams from around the world in the World Solar Challenge. The World Solar Challenge was held in Australia in October of 2009.

Wolverine Machine is proud to say that we are silver sponsors of the U of M Solar Car Team, having fabricated crucial components for Infinium. Our superior water jet cutting capabilities allowed the team to create intricate parts, which were used to make their car more efficient. The waterjet cutting process was ideal for the parts that the U of M team required. All parts were cut from aluminum sheet stock to net shape or near net shape. Some parts required additional CNC milling work to be done. Because of Wolverine Machine’s extensive array of equipment, both the waterjet cutting and CNC milling could all be done under one roof. This allowed us to expedite the parts that the team needed and handle some last minute design changes. The high precision of the waterjet cutting machines at Wolverine Machine allowed us to cut the parts to the required tolerances with only minor CNC milling work required.

The U of M Solar Car Team will be displaying Infinium at the 2010 North American International Auto Show, which is open to the public from January 16-24. We would like to encourage all of you to check it out, and see how Wolverine Machine’s parts were used to fabricate this top-quality solar car. While there, be sure to wish the team best of luck in their upcoming race, in which we are confident they will once again win!