At W.C. Branham, one of our core values is “We encourage those who desire to learn.” For the engineering team here, that means more than supporting customers through technical questions. It means putting real components into the hands of students building real things.
Since 2018, we’ve donated brakes and gearboxes to university engineering programs across the United States and other countries. The relationship started with a single Hyperloop team at the University of Michigan, and grew from there as other teams took notice.
How It Started
In 2018, Michigan Hyperloop—a 60-student team from the University of Michigan—was selected as one of roughly 20 teams worldwide to compete in the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition. Their pod needed to be self-propelled and capable of stopping from speeds exceeding 350 miles per hour.
The brakes had to be fail-safe: if air pressure was lost, the pod still stopped. The team chose Branham’s pneumatic spring-applied brakes, which use stacked disc springs to apply positive braking force the moment air pressure is released.
Growing in the Competition Circuit
Our brakes drew interest from other competitors at the event. The following year, we supported two additional Hyperloop teams: CU Hyperloop from the University of Colorado in Boulder and Queen’s Hyperloop from Queen’s University in Ontario.
- CU Hyperloop chose a pneumatic disc brake, customized to clamp directly to the SpaceX track I-beam. They wanted to achieve a 4G stop.
- Queen’s Hyperloop selected the PFS38 spring-applied brake—the same braking function as Michigan’s PF47, at half the braking torque—targeting 1.7G braking force applied directly to the I-beams.
By 2020, we were a desired resource for student Hyperloop teams. We provided component support for additional U.S. programs—including teams from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Cal Poly, and the University of Washington—during the competition era.
What Branham Asks in Return
When we receive support requests from universities and student programs, we review each one individually. For teams that are a good fit, we’ll typically donate one or two components—most often a caliper disc brake or a gearbox, matched to the specific application. Depending on the team’s location, shipping costs may fall to the school.
In exchange, we ask that the company be acknowledged—on the vehicle, in team literature, or both. But we don’t make them sign lengthy contracts.
The teams get components that perform, while we get acknowledgment (and testing data for those products under competitive conditions). A win-win, literally.
Beyond Hyperloop
The SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition ran its final event in 2019, but we’re still eager to support student engineering programs. If you’re part of a university engineering program in the U.S., and your team is working on a project that could use a brake or gearbox, let our team know. We’re eager to continue supporting the next generation of engineers.