Electric Bike Company Lets Users Create Replacement Parts with 3D Printers (3ders.org) 44
The manufacturers of a new electric bike are sharing 3D-printable files that let users create their own replacement parts and accessories. "We want to help all our customers to personalize and get the most from their electric bikes," the company explains on their web site, "by offering them unique and interesting parts, as well as spares, that they can 3D print at home for free." Powered by a 42V lithium ion battery, the $2,430 Trayser has a range of 60 miles at speeds up to 15.5 miles per hour. 3Ders.org points out that entire bike frames have also been generated using 3D printers.
Nice Idea... (Score:5, Insightful)
Conceptually a nice idea. From a practical and price-point standpoint, not really realistic. For the 3D printers that mere mortals can afford to own or have something made in, the part will likely not have the mechanical durability to be a moving part or a part that has to withstand stresses over time. There may well be commercial 3D printers that can make mechanical parts or parts that must perform under other types of stresses, but the cost of having it made verse buying it from a parts manufacturer will not be economical. As the summary states, whole frames have been printed, but good luck doing that on a hobby printer, or being able to afford having it done commercially for under 10 grand... But again, it's an interesting idea that one day will probably be realistic. Really, what they are doing is giving away their designs for free with the purchase of a bike, and there's nothing wrong with that.
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TFA makes it clear that they are not giving away the complete design. They are only giving away the documents for the plastic accessory bits. But if they did, the only special tool you would need access to besides a 3D printer (for those bits) and a drill (preferably a drill press) would be a lathe and even then only for the purpose of turning the interior of the head tube - you could use the little one from Harbor Freight. They haven't built their own forks; that's possible by more or less the same means a
Re: Nice Idea... (Score:1)
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3D printers aren't going to bring in a post-scarcity age, with jetpacks for all? Shocked, I am.
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The idea doesn't have to be ready for prime time, because of the tech adoption curve.
When a new technology comes out -- say videocassette recorders or personal computers, very few people are willing to spend the money for something that, after all, they've been happy living without all their life. But a certain small fraction of the population will be attracted to something because it's novel. They're the early adopters, and they end up buying lots of useless shit. A small fraction of the stuff they buy,
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But the people are the same. Go to the sporting goods store and look at the fishing lures. I guarantee you the lures are designed first to catch fishermen, secondarily to catch fish.
Fugly (Score:1)
That thing is fugly. And most home printers are going to spit out crappy ABS that simply should not be used for structural elements in the first place. Maybe print a cupholder to justify your dum purchase?
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And most home printers are going to spit out crappy ABS
Absolutely shit tons of stuff is made from ABS. The stuff 3D printers print is decent enough.
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That's not true, they can also spit out crappy PLA.
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The bike maker's website linked above actually details a bit more information. The structural components (like the ugly yellow plate in most of their pictures) are CNC'd aluminum, not plastic. Not sure where that confusion came from, if it was /. or the 3der's site. The Summary incorrectly conflates CNC and 3d printers, they are not the same thing, one is additive, the other subtractive.
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"Nobody cares about your stupid useless computers" – Anonymous cowards in the early 1980's.
Less than four decades later, not only does practically everyone have a computer in the form of a smartphone, they're carrying it with them 24/7.
replacement parts/customization without 3d printer (Score:2, Insightful)
people have been making replacement parts and customizations of all sorts of equipment and vehicles using variety of tools such as lathe machines and other power tools, since at least start of industrial revolution, if not earlier.
having another way to do the same, 3d printers, is nice. but not all that new.
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I think the major differences between subtractive and additive manufacturing are the noise and the mess.
Subtractive manufacturing is usually noisy and it makes a mess from the cuts. Not something you would do anywhere but a workshop, which people living in apartments don't have. Excessive noise for hours with neighbours on the other side of the walls.
Additive manufacturing can be quiet enough with a good quality 3D printer that you won't even hear it from the next room even with the door open (bushings, mic
Mostly non-essential parts (Score:5, Informative)
Looking at the bike itself, the frame is aluminum and the wheels/brakes/handlebars/seat are all common off the shelf parts. So you're not going to be printing anything that is structural. The list of parts you can print are non-essential
-iphone holder
-speaker holder
-cup holder
-mud guards
-motor cable clip
-brake clips
Most of that stuff is $10 and below. So in order to do this, you'd have to first buy their $2400 bike and then a 3d printer. I guess if you already have both of these, you can save $10 on a mud guard by printing one yourself.
I do give the company props for giving out the plans, but i'm not sure anybody is going to buy this bike because of this giveaway.
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I do give the company props for giving out the plans, but i'm not sure anybody is going to buy this bike because of this giveaway.
Not because of the giveaway, but definitely from of all the publicity they have gotten from this gimmick.
Nice looking personalized stuff, not saving money (Score:2)
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You need some pretty esoteric shapes before 3d printers, of any quality, can beat conventional methods for reasonable sized production runs; but the cost per unit tends to climb pretty steeply if you aren't ordering in decent quantities. Unless the manufacturer sells enough of these bikes that they can
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- Moustache grooming kit holder.
- Lomo mount.
- Rack for spare stupid woolly hat that you wear even in August.
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I see the possibility someone would take the basic 3D plans for the simple parts and tweak the designs to customize their bike, or to create other add-ons. Having the 3D plans and altering them would be much easier than creating from scratch. Someone might spend $2400 for that capability.
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STL files.
Which are semi-processed shapes, a bunch of triangles, akin to the data sent to OpenGL/DirectX. Not the raw 'uncompiled' shape data.
Battery vs range? (Score:2)
How does this work - I'd assume a low power motorcycle would draw far less energy than a car?
60 miles in summary, 50 on website (Score:2)
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Perhaps you should look a little more carefully at their bogus numbers.
The battery in the Trayser is 42V 20Ah or 840 Wh. This is a largish battery capacity for an electric bike. The charger has a gross power input rating of 480W and a charge time of 5 hours.
The Raker has a 72V battery (twice the voltage) with a 5A charger (2.5x the power) and identical charge time. That would suggest a battery capacity of 1.25x the Trayser or 25Ah. The capacity listed is "25 kWh". Do you think they might have published
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Re: Battery vs range? (Score:1)
Good range! (Score:2)
I like that this is getting almost 100 km (officially). Most electric bicycles have about half that which means : you can go 50 km away but can't go back? - you can, but you will be hauling a lot of dead weight on 50 km.
Short range electric bike would suck ass, unless it fits your need e.g. short commute in moutain / hilly area.
In some cases.. It's either a "good" thing or a bad thing, but if you have to carry an electric bike upstairs (and better, with days worth of groceries) that's quite the work out. So
"Lets"? More like "helps" (Score:2)
Electric Bike Company Lets Users Create Replacement Parts with 3D Printers
That word implies they weren't "allowed" to before.
Though given the behaviour of other companies with regards to third-party spare parts...
3D Models are not "plans" (Score:2)
They make .stl available, which is pretty cool. However these are not "plans", they are just "dumb" 3D models made of a lot of triangles with no easy way to edit/modify. There are no real dimensions, no tolerances, & if by "plans" you mean engineered drawings, obviously they are not providing those.
As I said, it's still pretty cool. I mean if you already had a 3D printer (or access to one). Even with access the material is usually pricey so this would still be expensive. I do have access to a high
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They make .stl available, which is pretty cool. However these are not "plans", they are just "dumb" 3D models made of a lot of triangles with no easy way to edit/modify.
You can load them into a CAD package and modify them.
There are no real dimensions,
The file format is completely metric. Load into a CAD package and measure whaever you want.
no tolerances,
Not really sure what you'd do with tolerances with a 3D printer.
Even with access the material is usually pricey so this would still be expensive.
Not for
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You can load them into a CAD package and modify them. The file format is completely metric. Load into a CAD package and measure whaever you want.
You can load the STL file but you can't "modify" it easily. You can cut it, add some features to it but you can't change it the base model as it is a "dumb" model. I have one open right now. You can't even effectively measure it as it is made of triangles. You can get close but there are no diameters, no flats to measure, so you can only get a close idea of
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Fiar enough with regards to STL. It's fine for things like mounting brackets. Cut off everything else, then smoosh it into whatever thing you want to mount and it'll be fine.
That I did not know. I've seen these reels of ABS used at the Maker fair but the stuff they were making certainly didn't seem really detailed.
Depends on the printer. I've got an early model printrbot. It requires quite a lot of love and attention to get really good prints, but I can get really good prints. In practice though 0.1mm is th
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So once I clarified my original post, for the most part, we agree. As much as I would like to invest in a 3D printer, I just can't think of stuff to make. Maybe I'll find some inspiration at the next Maker fair if my son still has an interest in going.
I can see me dropping 1K on a printer & having it just sitting there mocking me.
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So once I clarified my original post, for the most part, we agree.
Yep.
As much as I would like to invest in a 3D printer, I just can't think of stuff to make.
I wouldn't buy one unless you can think of at least one or two things you'd like to make. Bear in mind though that the FDM printers now have a quite wide range of materials, PLA and ABS are common, HIPS is similar, but there's also carbon fiber reinforced ones, ninjaflex (an elastomer), wood effect ones and so on.
I can see me dropping 1K on a printer
/. title expresses unethical power over owners (Score:2)
"Bike Company Lets Users Create Replacement Parts" is a part of the problem. That word ("Lets") creates the impression that before the issue is even discussed EditorDavid and whomever else is involved in writing /. article posts has decided the default should be to deny bicycle owners the freedom to help themselves by making replacement parts with or without the vendor's cooperation and thus this requires permission. Therefore we're supposed to think it's generous that a bike company "lets" people do this.
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The day is coming, perhaps soon, when designs for physical 3D parts will not be able to be protected by either copyright or patent. A simple 3D scanner will eliminate the possibility of keeping it hidden.