AREVO isn’t really a bike company, but that hasn’t stopped them from making one. As a leader in additive manufacturing including the robotics and software involved, they decided that one of the best ways they could showcase their capabilities would be to create a new bike – in just 18 days.
Check out this video of Arevo’s 6-axis 3D-printed bike project by user ElysianTech over on Vimeo. (Click the Vimeo link below to open the video directly.)
Arevo 6-axis 3D Printed e-Bike from ElysianTech on Vimeo.
While most traditional 3D printers print layer by layer, stacking up ntil the final product emerges, AREVO offers what they call Free Motion Printing.
Essentially, the print head is mounted to the end of a robotic arm that allows printing in all axes which allows for more design options, and fewer constraints – like size.
All of this is said to be capable of printing parts that are stronger and lighter than metal, while doing it more quickly than traditional 3D printers.
As this was just a design exercise for AREVO, don’t expect to see the bikes show up at your local shop any time soon, but it is a pretty interesting use of the technology and may hint at what’s to come for the future of bicycle or component design.
