Bicycle manufacturerCanyonhas debuted a concept 3D printed mountain bike prototype which aims to demonstrate a more sustainable method of bicycle production.
Working with software and 3D printing service providerMaterialise, Canyon 3D printed the bike’s frame and fork as part of Bike Magazine Germany’s ‘Ride Green’ campaign. The finished bike was showcased at the recentCycle Showin London.
The Ride Green bike
The aim of the Ride Green project was to design a bike that is as sustainable as possible, with all its components being fully recyclable. The materials used also needed to be reusable without compromising the quality of the parts produced, while reducing waste was another key goal of the project.
Canyon was tasked with building the bike’s cradle-to-cradle frame and fork, and settled on 3D printing as the most suitable, and sustainable, method of production. The firm enlisted Materialise’s selective laser melting (SLM) 3D printing technology to fabricate the components in order to achieve the frame’s desired unique shape.
Materialise is no stranger to the bicycle sector, having deployed its technology toprint 2,000 partsfor fellow bicycle manufacturerPinarello’sDogma F racing bike last year. In addition to achieving substantial weight reductions for a crucial seat clamp component for the bike, the company also created a full-service, customized production workflow for the project.
In order to meet the sustainability requirements of the project, the frame and fork were 3D printed from recycled aluminum powder. Canyon also wished to reduce the overall amount of raw material used in the fabrication of the frame, not only to improve the bike’s environmental impact but also to lower the frame weight and provide performance benefits.
The frame is comprised of a skeleton that forms its structure, which is enclosed within an outer shell to provide additional protection and more desirable surface properties.
The frame was 3D printed in three pieces, each taking around six hours to produce. Once printed, the frame and fork weighed just 2 kilograms. While Canyon says there are currently no plans for the bike to enter production, the project could potentially influence how the company’s future models are designed and manufactured.
Boosting cycling performance with AM
Given 3D printing’s ability to consolidate multiple parts into single lightweight components and produce components with previously unachievable geometries, the technology’s benefits have been increasingly realized by bicycle manufacturers in recent years.
For instance, custom bicycle producerSturdy Cycleshas switched the production of itstitanium bicycle partstoHeadmade Materials’Cold Metal Fusion (CMF) technology, and has previously worked withRAM3Dtoprint parts for its road bikes.British Cyclingeven enlistedRenishaw’shelp to3D print aluminum and titanium parts为其新轨道自行车在东京2022度lympic Games.
Meanwhile, some 3D printing firms have taken to kickstarter to launch their 3D printed bicycle components, such as Headmade Materials andElement22who launched their jointly-developed novelTitanum 3D printed bike pedal designon the platform last year.
Elsewhere, the likes ofFizikandSpecializedhave usedCarbon’sDLS 3D printing technology to提高重量和安慰他们的马鞍, whileStratasys’H350 machine has been used byDQBDto producefully personalized 3D printed saddlesthat offer increased performance efficiency.
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Featured image showsCanyon’s 3D printed bike frame. Photo via Bike Magazine.
