A mountain bike frame has been designed and manufactured in the UK by Altair, HiETA Technologies and Renishaw using metal additive manufacturing (3D printing).
The construction of the frame uses titanium lugs, carbon fiber components and tubing and a double lap joint bonding concept. Each frame can be tailored to individual measurements or specifications, with the added benefit that the frame can be constantly improved as new technologies emerge, as the production process is not constrained by a mold.
The frame concept was developed by the Robot Bike Co.
‘One of the great aspirations of additive manufacturing has always been ‘mass customisation’,’ said Mike Adams, CEO of HiETA. ‘Leading this project has allowed us to see integration of all the elements – a great new frame design, the use of state of the art software tools for optimization and automation, the flexibility of the manufacturing process itself and effective collaboration between our partners.’
Simulation specialist Altair was responsible for improving the bike's additively manufactured connecters. Using solidThinking Inspire, Altair could identify where material in the connectors could be removed to save weight and reduce part count.
‘Additive manufacturing is the perfect partner for design optimization techniques as it allows us to produce components and systems that are far closer to the ideal balance of weight and performance,’ said Paul Kirkham, team leader at Altair's Bristol office.
The retail price will be around £4395 with a lead time of four weeks, and the frames will be available to order from June 2016.
This story is reprinted from material from Renishaw, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
