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Airbus Light Rider is the First 3D-Printed Motorcycle from Aluminum

Airbus AP Works Light Rider motorcycle

APWorks, a wholly owned subsidiary of Airbus Group, has worked at the forefront of additive layer manufacturing (ALM) and advanced materials since its launch in 2013. The company produces bionically optimized metal parts for a wide range of industries, from aerospace to automotive and robotics. APWorks has now introduced the world’s first 3D-printed motorcycle, made using a new aluminum alloy.

The Light Rider motorcycle weighs in at a svelte 35 kg, earning its name as a lightweight in its class. With a 6 kW electric motor powering it from zero to 80 km per hour in just seconds and a frame boasting a mere 6 kg, the world’s first 3D-printed electric motorcycle is 30% lighter than conventionally manufactured e-motorcycles.

3D-printing technologies have revolutionized the design and manufacturing process – not only in terms of structure and aesthetics, but also in impressive weight savings on parts and equipment when compared to those made using conventional manufacturing techniques. APWorks used an algorithm to develop the Light Rider’s optimized structure to keep weight at a minimum while ensuring the motorcycle’s frame was strong enough to handle the weight loads and stresses of everyday driving scenarios.

Airbus AP Works Light Rider motorcycle
The Light Rider motorcycle Joachim Zettler (left), CEO of Airbus APWorks GmbH, and Tom Enders, Airbus Group CEO, shown presenting the Light Rider motorcycle, which is lightweight enough to be easily lifted by hand.

The result is a motorcycle that looks more like an organic exoskeleton than a machine. That was a very deliberate design goal for APWorks, which programmed the algorithm to use bionic structures and natural growth processes and patterns as the basis for developing a strong but lightweight structure.“The complex and branched hollow structure couldn’t have been produced using conventional production technologies, such as milling or welding,” said Joachim Zettler, CEO of Airbus APWorks GmbH. “Advances in additive layer manufacturing have allowed us to realize the bionic design we envisioned for the motorcycle without having to make any major changes. With these technologies, the limitations facing conventional manufacturing disappear.”

Each 3D-printed part of the Light Rider’s frame – produced using a selective 3D laser printing system that melts millions of aluminum alloy particles together – consists of thousands of thin layers just 60 microns thick. Leveraging the benefits of 3D-printing technology, APWorks designed frame parts that were hollow instead of solid, which has allowed for integrated cables, pipes and screw-on points in the finalized motorcycle structure – resulting in a dramatic 30% weight reduction over motorcycles produced using conventional manufacturing techniques.

“We further harnessed the benefits of metallic 3D printing by using our own proprietary material, Scalmalloy®, for the construction of the frame,” said Zettler. Scalmalloy is a corrosion-resistant aluminum-magnesium-scandium (AlMgSc) alloy that is virtually as strong as titanium. Specifically developed for ALM-based production, the material combines high strength with an extraordinary level of ductility, making it an especially interesting material to use for highly solicited parts in lightweight robotics, automotive and aerospace applications.

APWorks is offering a limited production run of 50 Light Riders for sale.

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