A Few Cost Report Questions

[SLracer]

Hey everyone so I just had a few questions on cost report stuff.

1) When the rules list the minimum cost for materials can we simply use that number or do we still need to use our reciepts if it cost more? For example for our 4130 chassis do I add up all the lengths of pipe then use the price we got it for per foot, or can we take the weight of the bare chassis and multiply by the cost of 4130 in the rules?

2) I am confused about the wording on how we cost some things. For example say we made some bushings on our car by hand because it wasn't worth it to write the program for 6 mounts. But if we were to produce the car with more time we would have used a CNC lathe to produce them. Can we get an accurate length of time to produce these on the lathe and use that in the report?

Sorry if these are common sense to some people I just want to make sure that we are going about this the right way. Thanks for your help!

[SLracer]

Hey everyone so I just had a few questions on cost report stuff.

1) When the rules list the minimum cost for materials can we simply use that number or do we still need to use our reciepts if it cost more? For example for our 4130 chassis do I add up all the lengths of pipe then use the price we got it for per foot, or can we take the weight of the bare chassis and multiply by the cost of 4130 in the rules?

2) I am confused about the wording on how we cost some things. For example say we made some bushings on our car by hand because it wasn't worth it to write the program for 6 mounts. But if we were to produce the car with more time we would have used a CNC lathe to produce them. Can we get an accurate length of time to produce these on the lathe and use that in the report?

Sorry if these are common sense to some people I just want to make sure that we are going about this the right way. Thanks for your help!

[Tech Guy]

Kyle,
This is not the place where you will get official answers to this or any questions.

Assuming that WPI is entered in one of the US events, read your FSAE Rules, and send your questions to Kathleen McDonald.

[cmeissen]

1. You can use the minimum cost for the materials in the rules. I am assuming this is an attempt to make it fairer since teams in different locations pay different prices.

2. Personally I would and have costed things in the most economical way and beleive this is allowed, but I am not positive.

[Roger]

1) At the FSAE West, the cost for raw materials vs. engineered materials was looked at. Frame tubing cost was closely looked at and you must show an actual cost of tubing, not the standard $.35/lb for steel (or whatever they list in the rules).

2) You must show the actual cost of the parts you made. The cost report is supposed to reflect what you actually cost you to build your car, not what it would cost you in production. So if you made them by hand, list that cost.

[exFSAE]

I have always been under the impression that cost report is supposed to reflect production cost.

Beyond that, its a huge load of BS in general. I'm sorry but there is no way on earth you can build a TU Graz-like car (with all the electronics, full carbon monocoque, etc), for $13000.. either in production or FSAE setting. I just don't buy it.

And some of the raw material costs.. aluminum was what, $0.75 / lb? That's only an order of magnitude low.. especially for the alloys used on these cars.

[Roger]

The cost used to be based on a production car, but the rules now state that you must reflect the actualy prototype build cost and be less than $25,000. Although, in the overall scheme of things, the actual cost is only worth 30 points, the rest of the cost score is based on your report, evaluation at the event, and the two random questions.

[Tech Guy]

Roger, SLRacer,
It appears that this question about how to cost the tubing on frames was sent to the Rules Committee. An FAQ has just been posted on the official FSAE web site on the subject.

[mech5107]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tech Guy:
...An FAQ has just been posted on the official FSAE web site on the subject. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Where i could find it? Please post a link, if possible...

[Tech Guy]

Chris,
The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) can be found at:
http://www.formulasae.org/forums/formula/dispatch.cgi/r...me/100066/0/def/bf56 (http://www.formulasae.org/forums/formula/dispatch.cgi/rules/folderFrame/100066/0/def/bf56)

There are several on there about the Cost Event. # 87 covers the cost of tubing.

[BeaverGuy]

There is actually a bit of a duality regarding what times and part costs the cost report is supposed to represent. The rules state that manufacturing times should be those that would occur in a production environment and not neccesarily the time it actually took to make the part. However, the processes used should be the same as actually used. To some people this means a manual machining operation will always be costed as a manual operation. To me and many others it means if it was machined it doesn't matter whether it was manual or CNC a machining operation is the same either way.