First recyclable plastic bicycle frame made by igus®

New frame protects the environment

To ensure that the frame has sufficient strength, stiffness and low weight, igus® uses a composite material in granulate form, consisting of high-performance plastics and carbon fibres. It also designed and made a multi-part injection moulding tool for the complex geometry of the bicycle frame within a few weeks. The result: a 3.3kg lightweight bicycle frame injected moulded in a single part – no welds, corrosion-resistant, durable and tested.. igus® is also able to regranulate end-of-life frames via its own “chainge” recycling programme, recycling the material. “In the future, we want to have other recyclable bicycle components such as luggage racks, rims, spokes and seat posts, all manufactured using injection moulding,” explains Helge von Fugler, founder and managing director of Advanced. “This is the only way to make a completely recyclable e-bike a reality.”

Maximum safety due to numerous test attempts

igus® tests all components extensively before use. 135 trillion test cycles and 15,000 trials take place every year in their test laboratory, 250m² of which are used to test bicycle components, including the new Reco frame. “We will test the first injection-moulded bike frames with computed tomography for problems such as air pockets in the composite material and carry out all relevant frame tests in our laboratory,” says Aldridge. Customers receive a 30-year warranty from Advanced Bikes. For maximum safety, igus® uses a variety of test methods. “These are based on standard tests, for example by the EFBE (specialist bicycle standards agency) and the TÜV,” says Aldridge. igus® also conducts its own test procedures, including the use of a climate chamber, the data from which can be used to make precise statements about the service life of igus materials under different environmental conditions.

Everything from one source: from design to finished product

“With bicycle components made of high-performance plastic, we offer the bicycle industry access to a completely new technology,” says Aldridge. “In this way, we also offer solutions to OEM manufacturers who want to implement their own ideas and designs with us.” By using plastic, developers can completely rethink bike design and geometry. And at igus®, they receive everything from a single source: from design to research and development, toolmaking, compounding, testing and production to recycling. Just-in-time production means that igus® can deliver quickly, and stock capacities at the customer’s premises can be reduced. The business is more predictable and profitable due to “make to order”.