From recycling to bicycling: igus bicycle components for the mobility of tomorrow

Following the presentation of the igus:bike made entirely of plastic last year, the motion plastics specialist is now presenting an additional product line made of high-performance plastics for bicycle manufacturers. Frames made from one casting or several components, wheels and cranks are just as much a part of this as a handlebar that is about to go into series production and will be used in the Reco Bike from Advanced. The production is done with polymers developed and compounded in-house, tested in igus’ greatly expanded bicycle laboratory. The products are both recyclable and partly made from recycled material. Production starts in Cologne and will be expanded to Asia and North America to offer bike OEMs local supply chains.

Resource conservation is also becoming increasingly important in the design and production of bicycles. Transport, energy-intensive production and the subsequent disposal of bicycles and components account for the largest share of the CO2 footprint. “We see plastic technology as a new option for the industry, perspectively for all components in a bike. CO2 reduction, recyclability, durability and local supply chains are increasingly demanded by our customers. At the Eurobike in Frankfurt we will be showing the appropriate solutions,” says Jan Philipp Hollmann, Head of the Bicycle Components Division at igus. As new catalogue products for bicycle manufacturers, igus is presenting ball bearings, cranks, headset bearings and a freewheel made of high-performance plastics specially developed for the movement. Soon available are frames, wheels and handlebars. The seat post and saddle frame are also already in the works. The special feature: igus offers OEM customers everything from a single source. Research and product development, tests in the in-house laboratory on soon to be 25 test benches just for bicycle components, production of tools as well as manufacturing with plastics developed and compounded in-house. igus has been supplying plain bearings and other moving parts to numerous well-known manufacturers of bicycles and high-quality components for over 30 years. In the future, local supply for bike OEMs is to take place via 12 factories on four continents.

Advanced as first customer: Recyclable handlebar for the Reco-Bike

igus has now realised its first customer project with the bicycle manufacturer Advanced, which has successfully launched a next-generation e-bike on the market as a pioneer. The highlight here is the frame called Reco. It is made of plastic and is 100 percent recyclable. In order to consistently pursue this approach, a handlebar newly developed by igus is now also used in the Reco bike. It is made from high-performance polymers in a special production process and thus has the same high stability as its aluminium counterpart. However, production requires significantly less energy and takes place locally at igus in Cologne. The handlebar is also 100 percent recyclable. Thanks to the injection moulding process, it is made from a single cast, without any disturbing weld seams. “We have developed this manufacturing process for such curved parts with high stability and cavities completely from scratch. We are thus free to choose the plastics, can realise different colours and even create feed-throughs for cables and trains on the inside,” explains Jan Philipp Hollmann.

Bicycle made of recycled plastic as a “test lab” for the industry

The development of the all-plastic bicycle, the igus:bike, which was presented at Hannover Messe 2022, is also progressing successfully in cooperation with co-developer mtrl from the Netherlands. An all-plastic bicycle with frame and wheels made from post-consumer waste such as shampoo bottles and fishing nets from the oceans. All of the bike’s wear parts are made from igus’ durable Tribo polymers. The goal is a rust-, lubrication- and maintenance-free bike that can be completely recycled. igus calls the project a “live test lab for the bicycle industry”. The first bikes are due to be launched in Cologne at the beginning of September 2023. “Everything we learn here and successfully implement, we make available to the bike OEMs as catalogue products or custom-made products,” says Jan Philipp Hollmann. Also part of the project is the igus:bike platform, which opens the doors for further partnerships, impulses and knowledge exchange. The aim of igus is to promote the know-how around plastics in the bicycle industry and to further develop the concept together with many other manufacturers in order to advance the circular economy for plastics worldwide.

For more information, please visit: https://www.igus.eu/?C=DE&L=en