- 3D printing makes bicycle parts particularly light and stable at the same time.
TRUMPF, a metal 3D printer manufacturer, 3D printed bicycle brakes for Trickstuff, a bicycle brake manufacturer. These companies will debut 3D printed titanium brake levers for bicycles at the Eurobike bicycle trade show in Frankfurt.
It was only through the use of 3D printing technology that titanium was made feasible and cost-effective for use in such an application.
3D Printed Bicycle Brake
Carbon has traditionally been used in the bicycle industry for high-quality brake levers. This material, however, has a poor environmental record. Carbon cannot be recycled; instead, it must be disposed of after its life cycle, typically in waste incineration plants. Titanium has a lower environmental impact than carbon and is far more durable. Titanium allows manufacturers to make much stiffer brake levers than other materials.
3D printers can be used by manufacturers to customise brake levers. This is true not only for the titanium components’ design. Manufacturers can also tailor the lever forces of the brake to the needs of the cyclist.
“Since 3D printers from TRUMPF are also designed for series production, the bicycle industry can also use them to manufacture large quantities. As a result, components that are subject to heavy stress can be produced cost-effectively.”
– Christian Lengwenat, application engineer at TRUMPF
TRUMPF 3D printers also enable the bicycle industry to accelerate prototyping. Lengwenat added, “With 3D printers, manufacturers can produce different prototypes simultaneously in one printing process. This speeds up the prototyping process, which is important for the bicycle industry, many times over. Until now, manufacturers have mostly milled the prototype parts. This is time-consuming and expensive.”
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