Headmade Materials enables high-end Titanium pedals for bikes

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Headmade Materials enables high-end Titanium pedals for bikes

Headmade Materials GmbH, inventor of the metal 3D printing process Cold Metal Fusion (Metal SLS), and Titanum GmbH cooperated to realise a ground-breaking pedal design for bikes. By combining the design freedom of the Cold Metal Fusion technology with the unique properties of Titanium, the lightest clipless pedals were born, delivering an unmatched riding experience.

For Additive Manufacturing of metal parts several technologies exist, the most common process available in industry is the Metal Laser Sintering. Also in the bike industry it is the dominant technology today, but with its limitations of thermal stresses, support structures, material availability and low productivity, results in a niche existence in that sector. Headmade Materials’ sinter-based Cold Metal Fusion technology overcomes these hurdles by combining the advantages of 3D printing with the advantages of Powder Metallurgy, creating a 3D printing solution that will permanently shape the possibilities of metal 3D printing with robust processes. Headmade Materials’ unique feedstock material is processed on common SLS-systems for the 3D printing of plastics, available from different suppliers all over the world. After the printing step the parts a debinded and sintered to obtain a fully dense metal part.

Rico de Wert, co-founder of Titanum, has been experimenting on the special design for the MyTi clipless pedals for years. But either the technical feasibility or the high manufacturing costs have been the limiting factor for realisation. The DNA of Element22 to bring Powder Metallurgy and Titanium to perfection was the success factor. By linking the idea of Titanum with the technology of Headmade Materials in mid 2020 by Matthias Scharvogel, CEO of Element22 GmbH, the right combination was found to tackle the challenges on the pedal’s way to marketability.

After printing the first prototypes, the performance was already outstanding, just a few details had to be changed and a patent was filed straight away. The pedals are tested and found to be suitable in action, both for MTB and Road, by renowned bike specialists like Ralf Holleis from huhncyles, Tom Sturdy from Sturdy Cycles and many more. The journey from the first point of contact to the final MyTi clipless pedal design took only 6 months, proving the willingness of all parties to bring this project forward.

The pedals are now available via kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wendelin/titanum-pedals-clipless-3d-printed-aerospace-inspired) and will be launched in summer this year, produced through additive serial production in quantities of many thousands per year with the Cold Metal Fusion technology. Next to outstanding material properties and a cutting-edge design, these ground-breaking bike pedals perfectly show off how Headmade Materials’ 3D printing technology paves the way to real additive serial production.

 

About Headmade Materials

Headmade Materials GmbH, Wuerzburg, Germany, develops materials and processes for metal 3D printing of series components. The core of the technology is the self-developed sinter-based 3D printing process Cold Metal Fusion ("Metal SLS"), which enables customers to produce metal components in series at low cost and at scale. By adapting the material, the process runs on available equipment from different manufacturers and greatly facilitates process integration and part certification. Headmade Materials offers customers in-house use of the Cold Metal Fusion process as well as 3D printing services and consulting.

 

About Element22 GmbH

Element22 GmbH, located in Kiel, Germany was founded in 2011 and develops and manufactures Powder Metallurgy products with different Powder Metallurgy technologies such as Metal Injection Molding (MIM), 3D Printing (3DP) and others. Element22 has a production capacity to manufacture up to 75 tons of finished products and delivers to the medical, aerospace, sports and high end consumer products industry.

More information at www.element22.com

 

About Titanum GmbH

Founded in 2021 in Hamburg, Germany, Titanum is a dynamic and innovative company with a team of founders driven by their passion for cycling and with a deep knowhow of titanium. Together, the Titanum team seeks to make their titanium bike components “Made in Germany” a mainstay within the bicycle industry.

More information at www.titanum.bike

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