Innovation course in lightweight materials for motorsport
Online course of 300 hours in lightweight materials innovation for motorsport. 6 modules covering lightweighting and performance, carbon-fibre composites, advanced light metals, emerging materials and composite testing and safety, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Quantify the effect of mass on vehicle performance.
Select lightweight materials using performance indices.
Design carbon-fibre laminates for structural components.
Evaluate light metals and additive manufacturing for critical parts.
Analyse the maturity of emerging and sustainable materials.
Apply testing and non-destructive inspection to composites.
Develop a lightweighting project for a component.
Who it's for
- Composites engineers moving into high-performance motorsport applications.
- Structural designers working on chassis, bodywork or safety structures.
- Laminating technicians who want a deeper grasp of design and testing.
- Additive manufacturing engineers producing lightweight metal parts.
- Materials R&D engineers exploring new and sustainable materials.
- Composites quality managers responsible for inspection and traceability.
- Engineering and science graduates aiming to join racing teams.
What you'll work with
- ASTM D3039 (tensile properties of polymer matrix composites)
- ASTM D7264 (flexural properties of composites)
- ASTM D7137 (compression after impact)
- ASTM D7136 (drop-weight impact)
- ISO 527-4 (tensile properties of reinforced composites)
- CMH-17 (Composite Materials Handbook)
- ISO 14040:2006 (life cycle assessment)
- Ansys Composite PrepPost
- Altair OptiStruct
- CES EduPack (Ansys Granta)
- Abaqus
- SolidWorks
6 modules
1.1Effect of mass on acceleration and braking1.2Specific stiffness and specific strength1.3Ashby indices for materials selection1.4Unsprung mass and rotational mass1.5Regulatory minimum weight and ballast1.6Cost per kilogram saved1.7Trends in Formula 1, WEC and rallying1.8Sustainability and life cycle1.9Material restrictions in regulations1.10Practical exercise: material selection with Ashby charts
2.1HS, IM and HM fibres2.2Epoxy resins and curing systems2.3Prepregs and autoclave2.4Out-of-autoclave and resin transfer moulding2.5Lay-up sequence and orientations2.6Classical laminate theory2.7Honeycomb and foam cores2.8Bonded joints and inserts2.9ASTM tensile and flexural tests2.10Workshop: laminate design for a floor panel
3.1Aluminium alloys 7075 and 20243.2Titanium Ti-6Al-4V in critical components3.3Magnesium in wheels and sumps3.4Aluminium-lithium and metal matrix composites3.5Laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing3.6Topology optimisation of metal parts3.7Heat and surface treatments3.8Fatigue and damage tolerance3.9Inspection of additively manufactured parts3.10Case study: optimised titanium upright
4.1Natural flax fibres in bodywork4.2Recyclable reinforced thermoplastics4.3Recycled carbon fibre4.4Graphene and nano-reinforcements4.5Self-healing polymer composites and their maturity4.6Ceramics in carbon-carbon brakes4.7High-performance polymers: PEEK and PEKK4.83D printing of continuous-fibre composites4.9Technology readiness and homologation4.10Case study: flax panel versus carbon
5.1Impact and CAI testing5.2Ultrasonic non-destructive inspection5.3Thermography and tomography5.4Finite element simulation of composites5.5Tsai-Wu and Hashin failure criteria5.6Energy-absorbing structures5.7Composite repair in the pit garage5.8Traceability and quality control5.9Health and safety in the composites workshop5.10Lab: analysis of a laminate with the Tsai-Wu criterion
6.1Component selection and requirements6.2Analysis of the current design6.3Selection of an alternative material6.4Design and sizing6.5Structural simulation of the lightweighted component6.6Manufacturing plan6.7Validation test plan6.8Mass, cost and life-cycle balance6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
Training is 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so the programme fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Ansys Composite PrepPost, Altair OptiStruct, CES EduPack (Ansys Granta), Abaqus and SolidWorks, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures for laminate design of structural panels, topology optimisation of metal parts and life-cycle comparison of materials. Assessment is continuous for each module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: ASTM D3039, ASTM D7264, ASTM D7137, ASTM D7136, ISO 527-4, CMH-17, ISO 14040:2006.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with Ansys Composite PrepPost, Altair OptiStruct, CES EduPack (Ansys Granta), Abaqus and SolidWorks, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required: you need an internet connection, a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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