Design and Fabrication of an Electric Go-kart Using 3D Printing

This paper presents how to bring current high technologies in engineering classes with the use of 3D printers in design and fabrication of electric go-kart parts. Students in Mechanical Engineering Technology Club with interests in automotive technology as well as manufacturing technology were given the opportunities to design and build electrically powered go-kart to learn product design, prototyping and manufacturing. Using 3D printers, students designed and built number of different go-kart body parts, including a steering wheel column cover and a front nose wing pieces. In the process, students learned to design for manufacturing, build within maximum build envelope of the 3D printers, assembly for parts, and resolve fitment issues. Additional parts to be designed include side skirts, motor and battery covers, and a rear wing. The outcome of such learning experiences from this project can be expanded to interdisciplinary project oriented courses for engineering students to enhance their learning experiences.