Pandithage and TeamShark all revved up and breathing fire
FAST AND FURIOUS IN THOTALANGA: It doesn’t take much to get Ranjith Pandithage all revved up – just like the sleek black machine built from scratch by a bunch of undergraduates from the University of Moratuwa.
The new car. Pic by Indika Handuwala
The chairman and managing director of DIMO is in full throttle as he takes a swipe at ham-fisted politicians over the years – as well as the present bunch – and the cruel twist of history which have combined to create a vapid business environment today.
“We were once the silk route for logistics and invention and we should have stuck to it. This country has always been oozing with talent. We have the knowledge and the expertise and we should attract research and be a fount for innovation,” says Mr. Pandithage at the unveiling of the race car built by 20 students (TeamShark) from the Department of Mechanical Engineering in collaboration with DIMO at the company’s Thotalanga office.
Nicknamed ‘Fire Demon’, the single seat race car which can accelerate from zero to 100 miles per hour in under 3.5 seconds will take part in the world’s biggest student motorsport competition – Formula Student 2018 – at the famous Silverstone circuit in Britain next month.
Mr. Pandithage is standing still at the podium but he is also breathing fire. He is vexed at the sorry state of affairs in the country, charging that successive governments over the years have completely screwed up, and calls for an urgent change in policies.
“The Portuguese and the Dutch came to this island because our people were inventive and this was a central location. Even the British came here for that.
Unfortunately, they started the tea industry and this ruined us. We began to rely on tea (and other agricultural industries) rather than continue to research and be innovative.
“Today there is a huge waste of money, especially in politics (and to maintain politicians). We are a small country but JR (Jayewardene) made this a republic. We are a country of 20 million people but we have 8,000 Pradeshiya Sabha members (among the many other types of politicians).
“There is chaos in the country. Look at our transport system. It takes 45 minutes to travel 7 kilometres. Our low productivity is because people are exhausted by the time they come to work and then they are worried thinking of the commute back home. If you travel by train, the train takes a 25 minute-stop at each station because the platform is only 25 metres and the train is 300 metres long. Why don’t they make the platform the same size of the train (so people can embark and disembark quickly),” asks Ranjith.
The race car comes revving into the large DIMO showroom auditorium packed with University staff, the parents of TeamShark as well as other well-wishers. It has a custom engineered paddle-shift transmission with a carbon fibre steering system that provides instant feedback to the driver.
Mr. Pandithage moves up a gear. “It is a crying shame that this beautiful country is not managed properly. We have so much of potential yet there is a brain drain. We are losing our best minds.”
Yet, DIMO, one of the leading automobile and engineering companies in Sri Lanka, is doing its best to retain talent. Two years ago, two members of the team from the University of Moratuwa who built the first race car were hired by DIMO after they graduated. One of the projects they are working on today is converting a diesel safari cab into an all-electric vehicle.
“We have been backing this project for some time now. Later this week, I will meet our shareholders (at the AGM) and they might ask me why I’m spending 20 million rupees (the budget to build the car as well as cost of taking part in the competition) on a bunch of students. There is no return for us but as a responsible and ethical company, I feel we should get involved in something like this. The return is for the nation.
“I have been monitoring this team since they began to work on the car and what talent there is. If we lose (in the competition at Silverstone) don’t worry. But I hope we can win something, that will be a bonus,” he summed up.
There is every chance that TeamShark can dazzle the judges at Silverstone. The first edition of the car – in 2016 – won three awards: “Best newcomer in Class 1”, “Best individual driver” and “Dedication to Formula Student.”
The new machine is almost 140 kg lighter than the 300kg 2016 model, and with the mantra being “Better, Lighter, Faster” for the 92 university teams from 25 countries taking part, Fire Demon is looking good.
“We are judged on time and it’s not a wheel-to-wheel race,” explains Lakshita de Silva, the leader of TeamShark. Two years ago, he was a junior member of the team but he holds the helm today.
The final year student who hails from Kurunegala bubbles with confidence based on the fact that the new version is lighter complete with a tubular space frame chassis and a suspension which “feels like part of your body while driving the vehicle.” The biggest reduction in weight has been in the wheel assembly – by 30 per cent – while the pedal box only weighs 6.75 kg.
Dr. Ranjan Perera, the former head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Moratuwa, underscored the importance of working with the industry and bringing out a product “the country can all be proud of.”
Which is the point also made by the boss of DIMO, but more colourfully. “A couple of years ago when the University of Moratuwa came and said they were struggling to finance a project, we were more than happy to back them. I’m convinced we will do well again this time simply because this university is the benchmark for innovative quality,” Mr. Pandithage pointed out.
“Innovation plays an important role in any endeavour and it is important for the corporate sector to encourage innovation in the country,” he added.