At the 2022 Engineering Expo, from June 8-9 in Wisconsin, plastics firm Igus is set to launch a bicycle entirely made from recycled plastic - a world first.
Everything on the Igus bike, from the gears, brakes and drivetrain, is made using recycled plastic; the firm will also offer a variant made from virgin plastic. Credit: Igus
While many companies are looking to phase out the use of plastics entirely, this firm is taking it to the next level.
Unveiled at Hannover Messe on May 30, the bike takes the firm's previous experience in moulding plastics and utilises it to address one of the most pressing environmental concerns of our day, the growing problem of plastic waste.
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The bike has been designed to be easily built and sold by retail partners, and if all goes well, the first models should be available to customers by the end of the year.
Most plastic waste ends up either clogging landfills or in the world's oceans, where it poses a danger to both marine life and ecosystems. Microplastics, which are toxic, can end up being eaten by animals, leading to death and making their way into the food chain.
To this end, the concept of the circular economy has sprung up, to remove the amount of waste that ends up polluting the world, presenting a threat to biodiversity.
“Plastic found in rubbish dumps around the world is becoming a valuable resource," said Frank Blase, Igus' CEO.
A statement put forward by the company claims Blase came up with the idea for the bike while on holiday at a beach. He learned that bike rentals on beaches need constant monitoring with many parts needing replacing within a few months due to a mix of exposure to sand, wind and saltwater.
This constant upkeep is expensive, he said, and the Igus bike was devised to tackle issues like this.
"The Igus bike does not rust", he stated. “As all components are made of plastic, no part of the bike rusts, even the gears.
“Bicycle gears made of plastic were unthinkable for a long time. Lightweight, lubrication-free high-performance plastics are used in all parts of the bicycle, from two-component ball bearings in the wheel bearings to plain bearings in the seat post, brake levers and pedals", he added.
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While bicycles made from recycled plastics are not a new concept, the Igus bike is the first to be entirely made from plastic, including the breaks and drivetrain.
The CEO claims all lubricants used in the bike are solid "and ensure low-friction dry operation" without the need for oil. This means sand, grit and dust cannot accumulate.
Igus plastic has seen use in other areas of the transport sector from cars to tractors to robots. They have apparently even supplied parts for e-cargo and mountain bikes.
However, this is its first foray into making a proper bike for itself from scratch. Many of the parts were developed and are being monitored by a team of eight developers, and the igus:bike platform allows for partners to "continually improve the design".
“We want to enable the bicycle industry to produce plastic bikes", Blase added.
The firm's first major project is with Netherlands-based bike startup MRTL to put 400 of these plastic bikes onto its roads. The team will start with children's bikes before moving on to adult models by the end of the year.
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The bikes are also set to launch in Germany early next year. An e-bike range is also slated for production.
In the future, the bike will come in two flavours: the fully recycled model, and another made from virgin plastic - an industry term for new, high-quality plastic - developed by Igus. The company has also spitballed ideas to develop a tracking app for smartphones, so users can track their mileage.
- More information about the Igus Bike can be viewed here.
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