French Motorcycle Manufacturers Create Innovative Mini Bike with 3D Printed Metal

Last week, TheFabricator.com reported a 3D printing success story about VIBA, a French motorcycle manufacturer. VIBA wanted to make a limited-edition mini bike in homage to the iconic Honda Monkey, which they decided to call “Jane.”

The team faced one problem, however; they wanted to make the Jane in a run of just 23 bikes. Such a small manufacturing volume meant that the machined metal parts typically used in motorcycle manufacturing would be prohibitively expensive.

The solution to their problem came in the form of 3D printed metal. Not only did the 3D printed metal parts cost substantially less per unit than their traditionally manufactured alternatives, but they also did not require any tooling, molds or lead times. The combined cost and time benefits of 3D metal printing allowed VIBA to produce a fun and innovative homage to a cult favorite that would otherwise have been impossible to manufacture.

In addition, the versatility offered by 3D printing allowed the VIBA team to take a novel approach to designing the Jane. Because 3D printers can create complex geometries that would not be possible to machine, designers were able to combine multi-piece assemblies into single parts, like the Jane’s combination mudguard/headlight support. They were also able to create hollow levers which allow wiring for signal lights to pass through.

Perhaps the most exciting part of VIBA’s Jane is the 3D printed aluminum gas tank, which has a unique internal honeycomb design  To begin with, this lightweight design is printed in a single piece and eliminates the welding required by traditional gas tanks.

But it’s the functional benefits to riders that really set this gas tank apart. By breaking up the interior space of the gas tank, the honeycomb structure prevents gas from sloshing back and forth as the bike jostles around, keeping the bike more balanced and creating a smoother ride.

VIBA’s story is a great example of how 3D printing can provide businesses with cost-effective and innovative design solutions. At RapidMade, we are dedicated to helping our customers achieve their manufacturing goals using the most advanced technologies on the market. Click here to learn more about our 3D printing services.

Congratulations to VIBA on making such an exciting product!

RapidMade Brings Goodnuss to Founder and Other Entrepreneurs

One of the most enjoyable aspects of working with entrepreneurs is seeing them – and their projects – come to fruition, orin Lizz Hampton’s case – to nutrition!  Lizz is one of our favorite success stories, especially given that she is among RapidMade’s first customers, dating back to its first year in business.

Lizz came to us with a product idea that would make it easier for people to make fresh nut milk at home. The product concept itself was very simple, however the design requirements were very complex.

Over the course of the past 4 years, we have worked with Lizz to simplify this revolutionary product through hundreds of prototype iterations, helping her streamline from more than 15 complex parts down to 4 simple parts and then supporting her pivot away from a device into a reusable, mess-free nut milk bag.

“I wouldn’t have been able to get this far without Micah and his team at RapidMade. Not only did they help me develop a better product, they provided essential insight into how it would need to be manufactured, important engineering considerations and top quality parts for my prototypes. Above all else, they have been there to support me on my journey and believe in the product I am creating, which is invaluable to me as a young maker/designer. ”

— Lizz Hampton, Goodnuss Founder

As of October 17th, Lizz’s reusable, mess-free nut milk bag is available for pre-order on Indiegogo. We are helping her spread the word about her launch because we believe in supporting our customers and doing our part to help them succeed.  If you are interested in supporting Lizz and helping her get her product manufactured, please click this link

You can also check out her website, which is full of funny videos.

If you are not a nut milk drinker, we’re sure you know someone who is and would love this product!  If you are not able to support her campaign financially, please share with your network so she can build her dream company.

At RapidMade, we believe in helping our customers achieve their goals, whether it’s developing or producing a product for commercial use, creating a prototype for an entrepreneurial project or making displays for retail spaces, we are dedicated to helping our customers succeed with superior products.

Industrial Design Debuts at RapidMade

Stag Concept Sketch

The popularity of Industrial Design, also known as Product Design, has accelerated due, in part, to a new wave of designers and advances in technology, materials, processes, and capabilities which has dramatically improved the design options available to clients. Working closely with Engineers, Industrial Designers are trained on function, aesthetics, ergonomics, anthropometrics, and manufacturing processes to provide you with the best “working” concepts from sketches, to renderings, to CAD models that create your final product.

RapidMade recently expanded its capabilities by including Industrial Design into our Product Design Process. In doing so, this lets us help our clients move from product conceptualization to launch much faster and more efficiently with better end results.

3D CAD Model of Stag

When clients first come to RapidMade, sometimes they have a complete design ready to be made, but often they only have an idea of what they want. Introducing our new Industrial Design capabilities is a critical step toward helping the customers make their vision a reality. 
Once a client completes a Quick Quote, we will arrange a meeting with our team of engineers and designers to discuss your concept. Our Industrial Designer then works with you to create multiple rough 2D sketches for the conceptual form that evolves into a final realistic 2D rendering (that you may keep). When you choose a final form, we add additional aesthetics. These can be anything from color, to contour lines, or personal brands and logos to get your finalized look. Our engineers then take this design you and our Industrial Designer created and make a CAD model with your specific dimensions, which is used to 3D print a prototype. We work with you on any additional iterations and source the final manufacturing for you. 
 

Final Stag 3D Print

RapidMade Expands Services Offered

3D Printing, Manufacturing and Engineering

RapidMade's services now include:

Product Design and Engineering

• Simple static part design to fully automated mechanical and electrical equipment
• Design for prototyping and manufacture
• In-house prototyping capabilities for faster iterations and overnight customer feedback
• 2D and 3D drawings, tolerance and other manufacturing specifications, technology transfer and patent application documentation, equipment manuals, FDA and other compliance as well as other specialized engineering work

Rapid Prototyping

• 3D printing, quick-turn machining, traditional metal and plastic forming, short-run castings
• Thermoset and thermoplastic manufacturing, hard and soft metals, composites available
• Full-color concept models, functional prototypes, assembly and embedded electronics
• Quotes generally in under 24 hours, parts in days

Contract Manufacturing

• Production quantities ranging from one to tens of thousands
• A multitude of available manufacturing processes 
• Expertise in selecting the right manufacturing process for you
• Personalized attention to detail and top quality customer service
• Tooling and part library for easy re-orders

3D Scanning and Reverse Engineering

• Extremely high accuracy 3D digitization of parts as a reproducible STL file
• Available reverse engineering to create fully defined parametric files and 2D dimensioned drawings
• Inspection of manufactured goods to identify deviation from the original design
• Full-color scans also available

Industrial Pattern and Toolmaking

• Highly accurate tools in days, not months - at a lower cost
• Patterns and tools available for all standard manufacturing processes: Injection molding, urethane casting, sand and investment casting, sheet metal stamping, plastic forming and much more
• Additional finishing capabilities available

Displays, Exhibits and Promotions

• Full color 3D printing can be done as quickly as under 24 hours
• Print directly from renderings in CAD or BIM modeling software
• Great for architecture, store display and marketing customers
• Very fine feature detail and beautiful aesthetic quality

Finishing and Coating

• A wide range of finish options including paint, powder coat, plating, media blast, tumbling and much more
• Clear coat and dyed plastic available for cost effective finishing of prototypes and manufactured goods

Custom 3D Printed Lamps Offer Fun Way to Ring in the New Year

(Photo Credit:  3dprint.com)  Just in time for the holidays, Avooq, an Astralian designer has created the SplashLight, a table lamp that can be made using a 3D printed base, empty liquor bottle and lamp wiring kit.  As the picture depicts, the plastic base mimics the look of wine being poured from the bottle.  After the base is printed, installing the socket and wiring makes it operational.

According to 3dprint.com, "Avooq shared the 3D model for the SplashLIGHT on the 3D printing website My MiniFactory, and the model can be adjusted based on the size of the bottle, particularly the opening into which the splash element, the 3D printed component of the SplashLIGHT, which serves as the base of the lamp, fits."

 The SplashLIGHT is certainly more functional - and attractive - than the wine candleholders we made as kids.