Technology 2 min read

Startup Uses 3D Printing for Low-cost Carbon Fiber Bike Frames

Printing out your own bike for $300? This is the future. | Kzenon | Shutterstock.com

Printing out your own bike for $300? This is the future. | Kzenon | Shutterstock.com

This article details news of Arevo Inc.’s 3D-printed carbon-fiber bike frame. It only costs $300 USD to produce it by the way.

The 3D printing world is abuzz with the latest news about Arevo Inc.’s new bicycle.

Sculpteo debuted their concept for a 3D printed bike at CES 2017. It features fully interchangeable parts, and 70% of them are built on the Sculpteo platform.

A German startup took their bikes with 3D-printed tires for a test ride recently. This bike tire supposedly never goes flat — which is totally awesome.

Up to this point, previous 3D-printed have been interesting but impractical. They were a few that looked good, but few could replicate the low weight and durability of carbon fiber.

If you know anything about cycling, you know that carbon fiber is the go-to material road bikes. They’re not as durable as steel, but they weigh a whole lot less. However, it’s basically impossible to repair.

So how did Arevo Inc. develop its $300 USD 3D printed carbon fiber bike frame?

How Arevo cut Costs and Automated Production

3D printing continues to democratize many industries and biking is next.

Arevo Inc. defied previous 3D printed bicycle fabrications by creating the world’s first carbon fiber bicycle. They hope to use this technology to create bicycle parts, as well as space vehicles, aircraft, and other materials.

They circumvented the often labor-intensive carbon fiber process using a “Deposition head” and a robotic arm. The entire creation process requires little-to-no human labor, keeping costs down to $300 USD per frame.

The head simply laws down various carbon fiber strands, melting the thermoplastic material to bind all of the strands. This all happens in one simple and quick step with no human involvement.

You can see in this quick video just how labor intensive carbon fiber production is. That makes this breakthrough all the more exciting for bike enthusiasts at any budget.

While it’s not available just yet, the startup has potential partnerships on tap with a few bike manufacturers.

But their goals stretch beyond two wheels since they can “print as big as you want”, says backer Jim Miller.

With backing from the venture capital sect of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Arevo Inc. will surely see success as they continue to produce 3D-printed carbon fiber materials.

How would you spec out your 3D printed carbon fiber frame?

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Juliet Childers

Content Specialist and EDGY OG with a (mostly) healthy obsession with video games. She covers Industry buzz including VR/AR, content marketing, cybersecurity, AI, and many more.

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