The Street > The Bike Shop
3D printed titanium parts
alaskun:
ti grips?
Admiral Ackbar:
that is some lame ass designer bro bullshit. frame, rear rack (that completely blocks the integrated light), and of course those fucking handlebars could have been implemented so much better.
design firms need to stay the hell away from bikes.
atleast whoever build it up did a good job installing the fenders
alaskun:
these aren't ti, but are still pretty neat
http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/retrodirect/Interesting http://www.bikerumor.com/2014/07/19/3d-printing-revives-1903-retro-direct-drive-pedal-backwards-to-go-faster/
alaskun:
more steel stuff...
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0026065713700936
--- Quote ---This series of images shows the progression from CAD to direct metal laser-sintered (DMLS) parts for the components of the Kappius hub's drive assembly: the 3D CAD model (top left) is used to guide the sintering operation in an EOSINT M 270 system; a screenshot from the system's PSW software (top right) illustrates how parts are laid out on the build platform to maximise the manufacturing run; a 200-watt laser melts the powdered maraging steel (bottom left and middle), joining one layer to the next; and the finished components are covered in excess steel powder (bottom right), which is then removed using compressed air and recycled before final machining and heat-treating steps are performed.
--- End quote ---
http://www.3ders.org/articles/20130416-cyclists-innovate-high-performance-bike-parts-using-3d-printing.html
--- Quote ---April 16, 2013
To inventors, the "home garage" has always been a symbol of possibility-a place for tinkerers to create and innovate.
About four years ago, Russ Kappius-mountain-bike enthusiast, winner of six Masters racing titles, became obsessed with bicycle hubs. He wanted more speed and responsiveness, but wasn't sure how to get it.
He got an idea for a new hub-drive system and did a patent search. "I quickly learned that there wasn't anything out there that covered what I was thinking." says Kappius.
After working out a design for a novel oversized hub and high-performance drive assembly that would transfer more power from pedal to chain to wheel, Kappius patented the concept and began looking for a way to fabricate the parts.
But how to find an efficient, cost-effective and fast route to transfer his idea to physical product? At first, Kappius and his son, Brady (an engineer and pro mountain-biker), fabricated their hub with machines then field-testing and tweaking the design.
"Because we're a startup, we quickly learned that we needed to make design changes and get new parts to our customers fast to stay competitive," the elder Kappius says.
Then in late 2011, Kappius discovered direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), an industrial additive manufacturing ("3D printing") technology. Using 3D printer from German-based EOS GmbH they could produce parts with exact specifications and design complexity they need.
"We went from concept to bike-ready components in about a month," he says. "I've never been able to move that quickly before."
Kappius Components' hubs have been through a half-dozen design iterations, but the recent move to laser sintering has accelerated the speed of improvements. Here is his story.
"As a software engineer, I am able to change anything at any time to make the code better," says Kappius. "With DMLS, I have similar flexibility. It allows me to make small design changes and almost immediately test them on the bike. That's the beauty of the technology."
The beauty of the lightweight-yet-durable hub, on the other hand, comes from the sleek carbon-fiber shell (handmade by the younger Kappius), as well as the drive assembly housed inside it - including a drive ring, toothed inner ring, and pawls (or flippers), all made using DMLS.
...
When he first geared up for business, Kappius bought ready-made pawls and engineered the rest of his system around them. Once he discovered laser sintering, however, he was able to redesign the pawl itself and add a one-millimeter cylindrical basal extension, which positioned them better when they engaged.
Kappius is pleased with the results. "The tool steel is super strong," he says. "I haven't had a single hub failure. Even the big manufacturers can't say that." Bicycling magazine included Kappius hubs on the timeline of noteworthy bicycle innovations in their 50th anniversary issue in November, 2011.
With DMLS technology and help from a New York-based DMLS provider Harbec who supplies them parts on an as-needed basis, the father-son team assembles components in their home shop after hours and ships them out to early-adopter cyclists around the world. Production is accelerating fast for the young company-they sold about 100 hub assemblies this past year and are projecting sales of 500 in 2014.
The benefits of DMLS for the bike-hub creator? "Number one is design freedom," says Kappius. "Number two is the material strength. Three is lead time."
--- End quote ---
G:
^^^ Some good stuff there. I will have to look through it all properly later when I have time. Good to see that resolutions are continuing to improve. The bummer is still the need to machine bits for a proper fit or surface finish (like the pawl seats) but I guess at some point we will reach a magic number where the resolution is "good enough" in the same way that it did with Digital photos, and things will really ramp up.
:)
G.
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