Reinventing Performance: Evology & MSOE Baja's Lightweight Rear Knuckles

Precision Meets Purpose

In collegiate motorsport, innovation drives results. For MSOE’s Raider Racing Baja team, the 2025 competition season brought a clear goal: rethink the rear suspension architecture of their vehicle, Onyx, without compromising strength or reliability.

They needed more than a supplier: a collaborator who could bring advanced materials, engineering insight, and manufacturing speed. Evology took on that role.

The Challenge: Cut Weight, Keep Strength

To support Onyx’s redesigned load-bearing rear axle, MSOE needed a rear knuckle that could handle brutal dynamic loads while fitting into a tighter space within a custom drivetrain. Traditional machining could not deliver the complex geometry required, especially not on a tight pre-race timeline.

MSOE’s design team turned to Evology to use Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) for a smarter, lighter, and more precise knuckle.

Beyond the weight savings, the redesign delivered:

• Fully integrated mounting features that eliminated excess hardware
• Improved camber control and better impact stress distribution
• Historical stress risers eliminated through continuous-curvature design
• Multiple designs refined and tested with FEA while staying on schedule

Engineering Meets Execution

Evology’s production environment allowed MSOE to move from CAD to printed parts in a matter of days, not weeks. This enabled rapid physical testing and real-time adjustments ahead of competition deadlines.

By using additive manufacturing intelligently, the team cut mass and improved durability and suspension articulation under race conditions.

The Future of Innovation

Evology Manufacturing supports student innovation with the same focus and rigor we bring to aerospace, defense, and medical projects. When precision meets performance, engineering wins.