OUTER PLANET 54 PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net OUTER PLANET Urban bike made from recycled plastic No maintenance, no corrosion Frank Blase, Igus CEO, first had the idea on a beach while on holiday: In conversations with employees of a bicycle rental company on the beach, he found out about their major problems with beach bikes. These were continuously exposed to sand, wind and saltwater and sometimes only lasted three months before they had to be replaced. Maintenance and replacement are often expensive and time-consuming in this industry. So Blase came up with a new idea. The ‘igus:bike’ – a robust, durable urban bike made entirely of plastic - is claimed to be easier to own than any other bike. Owners can leave the single-speed bike outdoors in all weather and clean it in seconds with a garden hose. “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,” says Blase. 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. All of these components have integrated solid lubricants and ensure low-friction dry operation – without a single drop of lubricating oil. This ensures that sand, dust and dirt cannot accumulate. One special feature of this new bike is that the recycled version will be primarily made of reused plastics originally ‘single use’. “The plastic in rubbish dumps around the world is becoming a valuable resource,” explains Frank Blase. Experience from the industry In Igus’s development laboratories, eight developers are currently working on all moving components of the allplastic bicycle. Ball bearings, brakes, sprockets, gears and drives are being coordinated by Andreas Hermey, the development manager for energy chains, in close cooperation with the bicycle start-up MTRL from The Netherlands. Tried and tested existing developments from Igus were adapted to the new application. The result is smooth-operating, quiet, and durable plastic components that give suppliers globally the chance to benefit from the company’s bike platform. Platform for bike and component manufacturers The bike platform offers bicycle manufacturers all over the world the opportunity to jointly improve this technology. The online platform continuously shows the status and progress of all components and explicitly invites market players to participate. The platform is intended to become a contact point for manufacturers who want to build a plastic bicycle and for all manufacturers of suitable components, such as plastic frames, wheels, drives, and pinions. The platform is already hosting initial corporate collaborations, for example Helix.eco for recycled plastics. Many more are to follow. “We want to enable the bicycle industry to produce plastic bikes,” says Blase. Another partner is Dutch startup MTRL that has successfully put 400 bicycles with plastic frames and wheels onto the Netherlands’ roads. “Founders Johannes and Benjamin Alderse Baas are partners who share our vision completely,” says Blase, himself an investor in MTRL. “Together, we are refining the all-plastic bicycle.” From ocean plastics to motion plastics The bicycle start-up will begin production with a children’s model and an adult bicycle for cities by the end of this year. The German launch of the production bikes will be in early 2023. Other versions, such as an e-bike, have also been planned. In the future, the all-plastic bicycle will be available both in a new plastic variant and in one made entirely of recycled material. The first prototypes, successfully produced and tested, were made of plastic reclaimed from old fishing nets. MTRL is planning manufacturing facilities near plastic landfills around the world. Igus states that it is not yet clear which plastics will be definitely used in the recycled material version - but PET definitely is an option. www.igus.de
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