Evo Bicycle Stem
3D Printed Mountain Bike Stem Prototype
Designer: Michael Vander Velde,
Concept Developer: Avery Lukan
Prototyped By: Objex Unlimited Inc.
3D Printed On: Markforged Onxy One
“3D printing let us come up with concepts very quickly and very efficiently. We could go from sketching concepts to 3D software and have a tangible model in a very short period of time. This sped up our design process as well, and allowed us to have a real item to put on the bike and even lightly test… from there we could make small tweaks, small changes, and that led us to perfect the stem and bring it to the final model.”
The Markforged Mark Two and Onyx printers can produce parts with similar strength to aluminum which made the functionality of the stem possible. Watch the build process here:
The ability to use a functional prototype in the design process can not only move the project along quickly, it can also offer more feedback on what changes need to be made. As a result, the product can be perfected based on the experience of the user rather than simply the appearance of a non-functional model.
Rapid prototyping with the Markforged Onyx Printer was a cost-effective solution to the expensive CNC alternative while still maintaining a high level of structural integrity. In addition, the pliable material enabled the use of existing fasteners to clamp the bars and steerer tube. When mounted to the bike, it provided useful feedback especially in ergonomic areas such as standover height, reach, and rise.
Figure 4 Today 3D Printing Materials Information, Volume 3