New Announcement on Cost Software and Michigan /
California Requirements
Updated 28-Feb-2010
Cost Event Announcement
Access software Announcement
Electronic BOM in Excel format Posted
We have renamed the eBOM link to clarify it can be used
for the 2010 Michigan and California events. Download to the right or
click here.
Make vs. Buy
A lot of teams are sending in Add Item Requests for
parts which are not necessary, because these parts are "made"
parts. Section 3.12 of the Cost Rules explains the difference, that
teams should cost certain parts as "made" even though they
purchase or buy them. This is in an attempt to reduce complexity in
cases where the competitive advantage of certain parts is very low and the
volunteers would have to add many different versions of something for very
little benefit for you, the students. For example there are many types
of steering racks and almost none of them are used exactly as
purchased. Most teams end up making many of the parts themselves.
Rather than catalog many steering racks we designate these as
"made" parts. So even if you buy a Stiletto steering rack if
the Cost Tables list this as a "made" part you cost it as if you
bought the aluminum yourself and machined it at a mill. Or any other
legal way to cost it. If the rack housing is cast then you cost it as
cast. In theory all parts of the car could be done this way but we
didn't want you to have to take apart your dampers to reverse engineer
them. And because it is hard to describe the differences between
dampers and there is a lot of performance difference between them (even ones
that are almost the same on paper) these are "bought" parts that
we list by make and model. For teams that actually make their own
dampers there is still a Student Built option.
This confusion is obviously caused by the Materials
Table not being clear. To try to make this more clear we will be
adding place holders to the table. For example "Steering Wheel
(All Cost as Made)" will be inserted. If you see this you will
know to cost your steering wheel as if you made it. For example stamp
out the steel shape, drill some holes, wrap in foam and cover in
leather.
Some parts are listed both ways. There might
be ten different calipers listed one of which is "Student Built'.
In this case you should use the caliper you bought unless you actually made
it then use the "Student Built" option and include all the
materials, processes, fasteners and tooling used to cost that caliper.
For more information please read section C3.12.
So if the material includes "Student
Built" then you know you can cost it as you made it (if you did). If
the material includes "(All Cost as Made)" then you know you have
to cost it as if you made it even if you bought it.
As of the evening of Feb 9 these items are the ones
that should be cost as if you made them even if you bought them.
Please see the Materials Table as this list will not be updated:
Brake Rotor (All Cost as Made)
Differential Housing (All Cost as Made)
Pulley (All Cost as Made)
Sprocket (All Cost as Made)
Fuel Rail (All Cost as Made)
Heat Exchanger Fan Shroud (All Cost as Made)
Muffler (All Cost as Made)
Mirror, Rear View, Housing (All Cost as Made)
Seat (All Cost as Made)
Steering Pinion (All Cost as Made)
Steering Rack Housing (All Cost as Made)
Steering Rack (All Cost as Made)
Steering Wheel, Quick Release (All Cost as Made)
Steering Wheel (All Cost as Made)
Throttle Body (All Cost as Made)
Again, if you see a part on this list don't send an Add Item Request,
instead cost it as if you had made it from the materials from which it is
made.
Questions? Email us! Help us improve
the clarity of this rules section.
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Topic on FSAE Forum - Link
- Updated Often!
Useful information, questions & answers and tips & tricks for
your cost report.
Helpful Tools
Convert - Converts units of measure
Tutorial and Rules Overview
This tutorial will be updated soon to reflect the enhancements made to
the rules over the last few weeks. Download tutorial here in
pdf format.
Excel Spreadsheet with Database Fields - Link
(Updated).
Spreadsheet revised 05 Apr.
Screen Image of Cost Application - Link
Video Tutorials Now Available.
See the Application page (main link bar) or follow this link
for video tutorials of the Cost Application.
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