As metal additive manufacturing techniques continue to increase the fidelity of the parts they produce, more industries are beginning to experiment with the technology.
Lending proof to the notion that laser sintering isn’t just for the aerospace and oil industries, Empire Cycles, in conjunction with UK engineering and prototyping firm Renishaw, have debuted the world’s first 3D printed bike frame.
While manufacturers have printed minor bike components before, this new project is the first to create a complete mountain bike frame. Based on Empire Cycle’s MX6 design, Renishaw printed the frame in a number of segments and bonded them together to assemble the bike’s geometry.
Printed in a lightweight, strong and durable titanium alloy, the bike also underwent a “topological optimization” process which helped Empire refine the geometry of their frame and decrease material use.
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