Carried out every 4 year, and held between the dates of 5-21 August this year, Rio 2016 Olympics continues at full speed. In the sports event technology supports the sportsmen as well. Aiming to provide advantage with its 3D printing technology, French Cycling Federation(FFC) performed 3D printing of the handle bar of Jet One bicycle.
The 3D printed handlebars, part of the Jet One series, were not just 3D printed for the sake of it, as the equipment actually offers a number of advantages over traditionally manufactured cycling handlebars. That is, Erpro & Sprint took advantage of all the possibilities of 3D design and printing technologies to create state-of-the-art and Olympic worthy handlebars. Each set of handlebars, and there were seven in total, were 3D printed out of a lightweight aluminium material using SLM Solutions’ SLM280 selective laser melting system. In addition to the lightweight material, the handlebars were also designed to incorporate an interior lattice structure, which both contributes to the strength of the equipment and helps cut down on weight even more.
During races themselves, aerodynamics and weight are absolutely key to a cyclist’s performance. As races are often determined by a fraction of a second, having even just a slight edge over a competitor can make all the difference. In professional racing, cyclists can reach speeds of up to 80km/h, so one can imagine that having less to drag you back is imperative to a winning team. The 3D printed handlebars, designed with aerodynamics in mind, also have the added advantages of rigidity and a very low weight.