Zircotec Empowers Future Engineers through Local School Sponsorship
Zircotec is proud to support and engage with local schools as inspiring the engineers of tomorrow plays a critical part of our Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, further solidifying and embedding Zircotec within the local community.
We were delighted when approached by the student led Fitz24 Racing Team from Fitzharrys School in Abingdon. The students at Team Fitz24 were tasked with building an electrically powered Go-Kart to participate in the Greenpower electric go-kart challenge.
The Fitz24 racing team, consisting of seven students in total (from both year 10 & 11) and led by their Design & Technology Teacher, were aiming to obtain sponsorship support to acquire the necessary products, engineering expertise, safety gear and team clothing required to participate in national Greenpower competitions. The Greenpower Education Trust is a UK based charity which gets young people enthusiastic about science and engineering by challenging them to design, build and race an electric car to their regulations. The Greenpower challenge uses the excitement of motorsport to inspire young people to excel in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). Greenpower works with over 700 teams throughout the UK and hold 35+ regional events and an International Final every year, and more than 10,000 students take part each year, from primary school age through to university.
As part of our sponsorship support, we invited the students to visit our Abingdon facility, giving them the chance to see how our cutting-edge solutions are manufactured and how their own vehicle can benefit from F1-derived solutions, and in turn, providing a competitive edge on the track. The students were given a tour of our facilities, whereby we showcased our expertise in plasma-applied ceramic coatings and bespoke metallic encapsulated heat shielding solutions. The student team were delighted to be taken through our various manufacturing processes, gaining valuable insights into why our technology & solutions are sought after worldwide.
The students brought their race car along to enable us to collaborate with them in finding the appropriate heat management solution. The car is a true credit to the Fitzharrys students’ dedication and willingness to learn. All that was needed was the incorporation of Zircotec’s advanced thermal barrier technology to set it apart from the competition. Our technology found its place in their electric go-kart design in the form of our revolutionary Ceramic Heat Shielding solution – ZircoFlex® GOLD, providing advanced performance and protection to areas of the vehicle that are likely to suffer from unwanted heat transfer.
With the completion of the go-kart drawing near, the team is now preparing for test drives ahead of their inaugural race event. Supporting the team on their journey, we have committed to providing high-tech products for their build, engineering support, and a cash donation ensuring they have the necessary equipment to fully participate in the upcoming races and pursue their passion for motorsports.
The team will be participating in the Greenpower F24 heats commencing on Saturday, July 1st at Ford’s Dunton test track in Basildon, Essex.
Good luck team!