The startup Arevo 3D prints a bicycle from carbon fibers

Arevo is an American startup that has just unveiled a new bike with a frame that has been 3D printed from carbon fibers. The bike was created to show the possibilities offered by additive manufacturing. Arevo is well known for their six-axis robotic 3D printing platform, which allows it to design composite parts. They also took this opportunity to announce a $12.5 million fundraiser and the arrival of their new CEO, Jim Miller.

3D printing is moving the bike industry forward with several initiatives that show how 3D technologies can help design more efficient custom finished parts. Examples of this can be seen with BigRep’s tire, 3D printed to be indestructible, or the electric bike from Volkswagen, Kinazo. This time, the American startup wanted to rely on a lighter but more solid material, carbon fiber.

Generally, bicycles that are traditionally designed from carbon fiber are more expensive because manufacturers have to deposit individual layers with the resin around the frame mold; this work is done by hand and would be much longer. The frame would then have to be fired in an oven to melt the resin and bond the layers of carbon fibers together. Additive manufacturing would reduce these delays and the production costs, two key benefits for the startup.