Developing a Fully Customizable Additively Manufactured Mountain Bike
Technology Category
- Networks & Connectivity - Ethernet
Applicable Industries
- Aerospace
- Life Sciences
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Additive Manufacturing
- Rapid Prototyping
About The Customer
The customer, Robot Bike Company (RBC), is a startup based in the UK. It was founded by a group of aerospace engineers and mountain biking enthusiasts who saw the potential of combining additive manufacturing technologies with carbon fiber to create superior bike frames. RBC's vision was to create a customizable, lightweight, high-strength bike frame that could withstand the rigors of downhill mountain biking. The company aimed to achieve this by using carbon fiber tubes and other components joined by additively manufactured titanium 'nodes', which would be customized to the specifications of individual riders.
The Challenge
Robot Bike Company (RBC), a UK-based startup, was established by aerospace engineers and mountain biking enthusiasts. They aimed to combine additive manufacturing technologies with carbon fiber to create the best bike frames possible. The challenge was to deliver a customizable, lightweight, high strength bike frame made from carbon fiber, a common material in the industry. The carbon fiber tubes and other components were to be joined by additively manufactured titanium 'nodes', customized to individual riders' specifications. Altair ProductDesign’s engineering team was tasked with optimizing these joints, including the head tube, seat post, and chain stay lugs, to ensure they were lightweight, durable, and suitable for the additive manufacturing process.
The Solution
To meet the project's tight timescales, Altair ProductDesign utilized SolidThinking Inspire. This technology allowed the team to quickly incorporate the existing designs into the environment and apply various loading data that the bike frame would need to withstand during use. Constraints such as the nodes’ allowable size and fixing point locations were also considered. SolidThinking Inspire used this data to output a new geometry layout that removed material where it was not required to meet the performance targets. Altair ProductDesign also sought opportunities to simplify the frame design to lower production costs. For instance, the chain stay lug, originally a three-piece assembly, was redesigned as a single component optimized for mass, performance, and manufacturing cost.
Operational Impact
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