The dynamic collaboration between REIN4CED and DIEFFENBACHER tightens the integration of product and machine development, propelling the large-scale production of cutting-edge thermoplastic carbon bicycle frames. Top-class expertise in product development and production automation synergizes seamlessly, facilitating the upscale of robust and agile thermoplastic composite frame production to meet market demands.
Durable and sustainable carbon bicycle frames: Carbon material offers high performance for bicycles but carbon frames show brittle fractures and are vulnerable to direct impact. Furthermore, while cycling is among the most environmental modes of transport, the carbon composite materials currently on the market are not sustainable, based on non-recyclable thermoset resins manufactured in Asia with long logistic chains to Europe and the US.
REIN4CED is revolutionizing the industry by introducing thermoplastic composites that offer a more sustainable alternative, able to be efficiently reused, repurposed, or recycled. To address the weak impact resistance of carbon, REIN4CED has introduced a hybrid material called Feather that prevents unexpected breaking after impact by reinforcing carbon frames with thin steel fibers, exhibiting metal-like structural behavior.
Pioneering serial production: The production using thermoplastic composite UD tapes offers opportunities for process automation. REIN4CED and DIEFFENBACHER started a collaboration to design and build a thermoplastic production line in Belgium. DIEFFENBACHER, a leading manufacturer of press systems and complete production plants, brought expertise in customizing and manufacturing production equipment, resulting in the world's first serial production lines for thermoplastic bicycle frames based on DIEFFENBACHER's Tailored Blank Line consisting of tapelaying system Fiberforge and consolidation system Fibercon.
Johan Miermans, CEO of REIN4CED, stated the partnership aims to bridge the gap from pioneering product design to mass production of next-generation frames for leading bicycle manufacturers, with customers benefiting from nearshoring of production and fast, flexible product deliveries.
Christian Dieffenbacher, CEO of DIEFFENBACHER, emphasized long-term trusting partnerships as core values, positioning DIEFFENBACHER as a sparring partner for REIN4CED in pioneering the market for next-generation bicycle frames.
The world's first automated Tailored Blank Line, located at the REIN4CED factory in Leuven, Belgium, has been operational since 2020, automating the laying and consolidation of UD tape to ensure proper fiber orientation and prevent material porosities. Finished blanks go to a thermoforming line with a heating oven and DIEFFENBACHER Fiberpress, forming shell parts that are assembled into a monocoque bicycle frame, with excess material shredded for reuse and recycling.
Looking ahead, REIN4CED and DIEFFENBACHER envision a deepened collaboration involving reciprocal exchange of expertise and shared technology roadmaps, aiming to establish thermoplastic manufacturing as the go-to method for producing carbon bike frames and expanding into sports & leisure, industrial, automotive, and aerospace industries.
Source: REIN4CED
