Bike producer  has switched production of its titanium bike parts to Cold Metal Fusion (CMF) technology from German 3D printing bureau Materials.
The two companies will collaborate to use CMF to 3D print titanium components such as crank arms, frameset connectors and chainstay components for  titanium road bike, while  owner and frame builder  has more Love this technology over .
“Because  is so closely related to part development,  emphasized the advantages of our technology to us during the conversation,” said , Applications Engineer at .
was spun off in 2019 from the polymer research institute , Germany.The company’s founders, were on a mission to design a process that would make serial 3D printing cheaper and more accessible, thereby advancing the development of CMF.
CMF extensively combines metal sintering and SLS in a novel fabrication technique, which is differentiated from traditional SLS processes by  proprietary 3D printing materials.The company’s metal powder feedstock is combined with a plastic binder matrix for improved flow and compatibility with different machines.
The four-step CMF process first upgrades the CAD file of the target object, which is then generated layer by layer in a manner similar to SLS 3D printing, but at temperatures below 80°C.Operating at lower temperatures significantly reduces heating and cooling times, eliminating the need for external cooling equipment, while also providing energy and time savings.
After the printing stage, the parts are deblocked, post-processed, degreased and sintered.During the printing process, the plastic binder contained in Headmade’s proprietary powder resin is melted away and used only as a support structure, delivering parts the company claims are comparable to those produced by injection molding.
The partnership with  is not the first time the company has used CMF technology for the production of bicycle parts.Last year, partnered with 3D printing service to develop a new 3D printed bicycle pedal design called .Originally available to back kickstarter, clipless titanium pedals launched later that year under the joint brand.
For its latest bike-related project, Headmade has once again partnered with Element22 to 3D print titanium components for  titanium road bike.The  was designed to be a sporty road bike, so it needed durable weight-optimized components.
Frame maker Sturdy is no stranger to 3D printing, having previously worked with metal 3D printing service provider 3D to produce titanium parts for his other road bike models.Sturdy chose 3D printing as an integral part of his custom bike frame business because of its ability to produce parts with complex geometries not possible with traditional manufacturing methods.
Realizing the added benefits of CMF, Sturdy has now turned the production of several titanium bicycle parts to the technology.The technology is used to produce 3D printed connectors that are welded to polished tubes on the  frameset and that can accommodate major bicycle components such as handlebars, saddles and bottom brackets.
The bike’s chainstays are also made entirely from components 3D printed using CMF, as are the model’s crank arms, which Sturdy now distributes as part of an independent crankset.
Due to the custom nature of the  business, every part of each bike is structurally similar in design, but no two bikes are alike.With parts tailored to each rider, all components are sized differently, and mass production is now economically feasible thanks to  CMF technology.In fact, Sturdy now aims to make a triple-digit annual production.
According to him, this is due to the excellent process stability of CMF and the resulting repeatability of components, which makes frame and part production easier and more efficient.The technology also reduces stress on metal parts compared to products produced using , and the improved part surface achieved through the technology simplifies the surface finishing process of components.
Sturdy also attributes the increased efficiency to the reduced amount of preparation required to integrate CMF printed components into the bike manufacturing process compared to parts.The higher part quality provided by CMF further means that much of the work can be done onsite at  production facility, which in turn reduces costs and coordination with various service providers.
“The production of these parts is now completely taken over by titanium specialists , and we are delighted to contribute to our  technology to ensure these fantastic road bikes from  find many satisfied customers,”
According to more than 40 CEOs, leaders and experts who shared their 2022 3D printing trend forecasts with us, advancements in material certification and increasing demand for high-performance materials indicate that manufacturers are confident in additive manufacturing technology, And the technology’s ability to enable mass customization is expected to bring “enormous value” to numerous applications, benefiting industries and people.
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is a technical reporter for 3D with a background in B2B publications covering manufacturing, tools and bicycles.Writing news and features, she has a keen interest in emerging technologies impacting the world we live in.