Recently, Polish high-performance bicycle component manufacturer Alugear, in collaboration with 3D printing solutions leader Materialise, has successfully utilized additive manufacturing technology to develop a titanium alloy crank set. This innovative component achieves a remarkable weight reduction of up to 50% compared to traditionally CNC-machined products, weighing only 345 grams.
The crank set is a core component for transmitting power in a bicycle. At the beginning of the collaboration, Alugear aimed to explore the application potential of 3D printing. Through analysis, both parties selected the crank set as the breakthrough point, with the goal of creating a high-performance part that is lighter, stronger, and compatible with various bike models.
To achieve this goal, the team undertook a complete redesign. They selected titanium alloy for its excellent strength-to-weight ratio and achieved weight reduction through an internal lattice structure. The design ensures the component can pass the rigorous ISO 4210 standard tests, which include 100,000 fatigue cycles. Materialise's simulation software, Magics, was crucial in the optimization process, helping the team find the perfect balance between mechanical performance, post-processing design, cost, and printing parameters.
Dawid Dyngosz, Co-founder of Alugear, emphasized that the goal was not merely fast printing, but rather integrating multiple manufacturing advantages. Through multiple iterations of simulation predictions and physical fatigue testing, the team finally arrived at the optimal solution.
The results of this collaboration are significant: besides the substantial weight reduction, the integrated 3D-printed design reduces the need for welding, lowers the risk of assembly failure, and its self-supporting structure simplifies post-processing steps, laying the groundwork for scaled production. Dyngosz points out that the groundbreaking aspect of this product is its "repeatable manufacturability," making it the first fully 3D-printed, fully CNC-machined titanium alloy crank set achievable for reliable industrial-level mass production.
Currently, this component is designed specifically for mountain bikes, but the technology is scalable and adaptable to other bike types. Alugear states it will continue to explore the application potential of metal additive manufacturing technology in other components.
