RUKO Stories: Powering up at the starting line
As a tool manufacturer with the highest standards of quality and reliability, we at RUKO are always looking for partners who share our values. In RUB Motorsport e.V., we have found a team that is not only passionate about technology, but also strives for perfection in every detail—just like us. Student racing, engineering, and our tools are coming together at the starting line.
Full throttle to the finish line
For over a decade, students at Ruhr University Bochum have been participating in student Formula races with racing cars they have designed themselves.
For the first time in the 2021/2022 season, a RUB Motorsport car was not powered by a combustion engine. A new, sustainable era was born.
The RUB Motorsport Team has set itself the goal of being among the best in its field and building the fastest and most efficient electrically powered vehicles.
RUB25: The pride of the workshop
The race car is a fully electric rear-wheel drive vehicle. The motor has a maximum output of 124 kilowatts, which corresponds to approximately 166 horsepower. Due to regulations, the output is limited to 80 kilowatts or 107 horsepower.
The battery is a completely new development. It weighs 50 kilograms and has a capacity of 9.9 kilowatt hours. Thanks to its high efficiency, a single charge per race week is theoretically sufficient to participate in all disciplines.
The vehicle reaches a top speed of 117 kilometers per hour and accelerates from zero to this speed in 4.19 seconds.
At a speed of 50 kilometers per hour, the RUB25 generates about six times the downforce of a Formula 1 car at the same speed. The total weight of the vehicle is only 205 kilograms.
The stage for tomorrow's engineers
Formula Student SEA is the world's largest student design competition, in which students work in teams to develop, manufacture, and ultimately compete against teams from other universities on the race track.
The series originated in 1981 under the name Formula SAE, founded by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE Inc.) in the USA. The first European event followed in England in 1998 – since then, the name Formula Student has become established worldwide.
Due to strong growth and steadily increasing demand, further competitions were established in subsequent years, including in Germany, Italy, Japan, and Brazil.
Today, there are ten official Formula Student events worldwide—and the number is growing—spread across almost every continent. More than 500 colleges and universities from around the world compete annually in this unique combination of technology, teamwork, and competitive spirit.
Universities compete in both static and dynamic disciplines – from business plans and technical designs to challenging driving tests.
The evaluation focuses not only on how fast a vehicle can go, but above all on how well it is designed: creativity, resource utilization, cost efficiency, and technical expertise are key criteria. In addition, the teams compete in dynamic driving competitions that test all aspects of vehicle performance.
These include the skid pad, which measures maximum lateral acceleration; a 75-meter acceleration test, which evaluates drive performance; autocross, a technical course that tests agility and vehicle control; and the endurance race, a 22-kilometer endurance test that evaluates reliability, consistency, and energy efficiency.
A highlight of the year for RUB Motorsport is Formula Student Austria (FSA), which has been held since 2012 at the legendary Red Bull Ring in Spielberg – an internationally renowned Formula 1 circuit. The competition is fierce: there are over 260 applications each year – only 58 teams receive one of the coveted starting places.
Powerful tools for powerful ideas
RUB Motorsport sets high standards—for itself, for technology, and for tools. In 2023, the team discovered our products—and they have been enthusiastic about RUKO tools ever since.
Whether aluminum, CFRP, titanium, or high-strength steels – each material has its own requirements. The students drill, cut, and mill – often under time pressure, always with precision. And this is exactly why RUKO is the first choice:
- Thread cutting in aluminum chassis parts
- Drilling in CFRP monocoque structures
- Working with titanium components in the steering system
- Precision drilling in the cooling system
Our tools deliver clean results, minimize waste, and allow the team to focus on what matters most: innovation.
Fascination for technology
RUB Motorsport e.V. is an association of enthusiastic and success-hungry students at Ruhr University Bochum.
What unites them is their fascination with technology and their drive to combine innovation with speed. Year after year, they build a better and faster race car. In doing so, they strive for continuous improvement of every single component in order to compete with the best teams in the international Formula Student competition.
This year, Formula Student Alpe Adria in Croatia and Formula Student Germany at the Hockenheimring, the largest and most prestigious Formula Student event worldwide, are on the agenda.
However, the competitions differ in terms of atmosphere, infrastructure, and regional characteristics. The international comparison not only brings new perspectives, but also additional points—and that is exactly what appeals to RUB Motorsport.
Precision unites us
We are impressed by the students at RUB Motorsport and are delighted to be part of their journey. Because when it comes to pushing boundaries and redefining precision, it takes not only passion, but also tools that can keep up.
We wish the team every success in the upcoming competitions – in Croatia and at their home race in Hockenheim!