How to Make Great (Ti/CFRP) Joints: The Story of the Robot Bike Co. R160 Development

The right material in the right place” is an oft-used mantra but in practice the benefits of hybrid construction are difficult to realize due to the weight of the joint. This story starts with the increasing take-up of carbon fiber composite construction in high performance bicycles motivated by weight saving. An un-intended consequence of this, however, is reduced consumer choice due to the high up-front capital investment in tooling required. HiETA Technologies, in collaboration with Altair and Renishaw PLC, has worked with Robot Bike Company to address this problem with a combination of metallic Additive Manufacturing, topology optimization, cost-effective out-of-autoclave composite manufacturing and parametric design. The result is the recently launched Robot Bike Company R160 Enduro-style suspension frame.