Brakes & Testing Head — BAJA SAE Off-Road Racing

Jan 15, 2019 · 3 min read

Overview

Role: Brakes and Testing Head
Team: Off-Road Racing Team — NIT Jalandhar
Duration: Jan 2017 – May 2019

  • Led end-to-end development of high-performance ATV brake systems.
  • Built India’s lightest ATV for BAJA SAE 2019.
  • Achieved 4th fastest ATV at BAJA SAE Illinois 2017.
  • Delivered robust braking under extreme off-road and endurance conditions.

Full Lifecycle Mechanical Design

  • Concept to CAD: Designed floating brake calipers and dual-rotor configurations in Catia V5.
  • Simulation & Analysis: Validated all designs using ANSYS 16.0 (thermal & static structural).
  • Prototyping & Testing: Built physical test setups using Arduino, load cells, and sensors.
  • DFM & Machining: Translated CAD into manufacturable parts using CNC machining and lathe operations.

Brake Caliper Design & Simulation

Developed and validated a custom floating brake caliper to suit the geometry of a compact, lightweight ATV with extreme off-road use cases.

  • Designed from scratch in Catia V5 to match suspension and rotor configurations
  • Performed FEA-based stress testing in ANSYS to validate mechanical strength under peak braking loads
  • Conducted iterative simulations to minimize deflection and ensure even brake pad wear
  • Assembly designed with DFM principles, ease of maintenance

CAD Exploded View

Exploded view of caliper assembly

ANSYS FEA Analysis

FEA Stress Simulation in ANSYS

Structural & Thermal Analysis (FEA)

Rear Brake Rotor

  • Conducted transient thermal analysis for heat dissipation during prolonged braking.
  • Used vented profiles to reduce thermal hotspots and fade.

Rear Rotor Thermal

*Rear Rotor — Thermal Simulation *

Rear Rotor Stress

*Rear Rotor — Static Structural FEA *

Front Brake Rotor

  • Combined aluminum core with SS420 stainless steel coating for weight and heat resistance.
  • Optimized spoke pattern for mechanical integrity with minimal mass.

Front Rotor Thermal

Front Rotor — Thermal Analysis

Front Rotor Stress

Front Rotor — Structural Stress Analysis

Brake Pedal Design & Validation

  • Designed and analyzed pedal assembly with custom mount.
  • Validated force distribution using FEA and real-time load cell logging.

Brake Pedal ANSYS

Brake Pedal — Stress Zones

Pedal Mounting

Custom Bracket — Pedal Mount Geometry

Prototyping, Fabrication & Machining

  • Designed parts for machinability and DFM — ensured tolerances for hydraulic caliper alignment.
  • Utilized CNC, lathe, and conventional machining techniques for part manufacturing.
  • Fabricated and tested prototypes under simulated track conditions.
  • Assembled and field-tested brake components on the actual ATV chassis.

Experimental Testing

  • Developed a custom rig using Arduino Uno, LDR, and load cell sensors to measure:
    • Acceleration during braking
    • Pedal force vs stopping distance
    • Response time

Test Rig

On-field brake performance testing with Arduino sensor rig

Tools & Skills

  • CAD: Catia V5, SolidWorks
  • Simulation: ANSYS (Thermal, Structural), FEA, hand calculations
  • Prototyping: CNC, lathe, drilling, aluminum fabrication
  • Testing: Arduino, load cells, custom rigs
  • Design for Manufacturing (DFM)
  • Material Selection: Aluminum, SS420, brake pad composites
  • Team Leadership & Documentation

Outcomes

  • Reduced brake system weight by 40%.
  • Increased thermal capacity and structural durability.
  • Enabled modular swap-out of brake parts for different terrains.
  • Competitive performance in national/international SAE racing events.
Mechanical Design FEA Braking System Catia ANSYS Prototyping SAE DFM Thermal Analysis Structural Mechanics
Saikiran Juttu
Authors
Saikiran Juttu
Robotics Software Engineer