Materials & Manufacturing Engineering: Bike Design and Analysis Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the materials and manufacturing engineering aspects of bikes. It begins with a product description and functional overview, followed by detailed material specifications for components such as frames, including aluminum, steel, carbon fiber, and titanium, with justifications for their selection. The report further explores additional treatments affecting performance and structure, the primary forms of materials used, and the manufacturing operational route, from initial component sourcing to final assembly and testing. Quality control processes, including visual inspections and performance testing, are discussed. The report also addresses environmental issues associated with bike production, such as carbon emissions and waste disposal, and proposes alternative approaches for sustainability, including the use of more eco-friendly materials and manufacturing practices. The report concludes with a summary of findings and references.

Materials & Manufacturing
Engineering

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................1
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION AND FUNCTION ............................................................................1
MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS AND RATIONALE FOR THEIR SELECTION .....................1
ADDITIONAL TREATMENTS AFFECTING PERFORMANCE AND STRUCTURE .............3
PRIMARY FORM OF MATERIAL USED ...................................................................................3
MANUFACTURING OPERATIONAL ROUTE FOR BIKES .....................................................4
TESTING AND QUALITY PROCESSES ....................................................................................4
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES .......................................................................................................5
ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES FOR SUSTAINABILITY .......................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
The material and manufacturing engineering is defined as the branch of engineering
which analyses the production methodologies, application and properties of material used within
manufacturing and development of products. It enables to control, predict and to enhance the
properties of material so that it can be used effectively for development of advanced products
(Black and Kohser, 2017). The study is considered as essential for making the development
process effective in terms of cost and performance. The report will discuss the characteristics of
bikes by using the concepts and methodologies of material science and engineering. It will
describe the functionality of bikes and the material specifications in their manufacturing process.
The document will also discuss the primary form of material at the initial phases of
processing and how additional treatment methods can affect the performance and structure of the
bikes. It will describe the manufacturing operational path used by the industries and various
testing and quality assurance processes to guarantee the quality of products formed. The
document will also explain the environmental issues associated with production and processing
of bikes. It will explore the alternative methods and materials which can be used to achieve the
sustainability and other performance or cost related advantages.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION AND FUNCTION
Bikes are two or three wheeled vehicles which can be driven by humans or motors. Bikes
can be used for long distance travelling, sports, cruising and commuting activities. Bicycles and
motorcycles are commonly known as the term bike. Bicycles are driven by pedals and can be
motor or human powered. On the other hand motorcycles are driven by fuels and are very
popular due to their low prices and higher performance in terms of speed and comfort.
MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS AND RATIONALE FOR THEIR SELECTION
The two components of bikes which are made up of same material can have different
strength and properties depending upon the composition, shape, assembly and manipulation of
material (Kalpakjian, Vijai Sekar and Schmid, 2014). Usually for manufacturing process of bikes
a blend of materials like aluminium, steel, carbon fibre and titanium is used.
Aluminium: It is one of the most widely used material in the construction of bike frame. It is
known as the lighter material in comparison to other frame materials used in bikes. It can show
great diversity in shape, assembly and quality. The resistance to rust gives it an additional
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advantage over steel. Pure aluminium cannot provide the sufficient material strength required for
bikes thus it is used in alloy form with silicon, zinc and magnesium. The stiffness and
lightweight aluminium frames makes it easy for bikes to comfortably ride on rough roads as
well. Aluminium has more stiffness and thus it can result in harsher rides. It is preferred by the
track racers because they require rigidity in their bike rides. On the other hand the brittle nature
of aluminium make this type of bikes more vulnerable to damages. The inappropriate dent in
aluminium frame can also make ride unsafe.
Steel: In most of the bikes frame is constructed by steel. The easy bending and shaping
capabilities of steel make it easy for the bike manufacturers to use variety of steel tubes for the
processing. Especially in manufacturing of bicycles the needs of cyclists can be fulfilled by
myriad assembly and this is easily applicable in steel (Collins, Leen and Gibson, 2016). The steel
frames in bikes provide high durability, quality rides and ability to easily repair which makes
bike more affordable. Steel can be mould to any shape and is stronger than carbon fibre or
aluminium. The entry level frames of steel in bikes cost effective and can reduce the
manufacturing cost but they are considered as less sophisticated. On the other hand though high
quality steel frames in bike increases the manufacturing cost but it makes the bike efficient in
terms of comfort and responsiveness. The durability of steel is unbeatable by any other material
thus even dent, bends, scratches does not affect the structural integrity of the steel based bike
frames.
Carbon fibre: This material does not belong to metal group and is new to the bike manufacturing
material. The use of this material can give bike attractive shape, impervious behaviour towards
corrosion, durability, stiffness and easy manipulation. The carbon frames require fabric and
resins to manufacture and thus it is also costly material and is used by limited manufacturers.
Along with fine handling it has great ability to manage and absorb shocks. Under stress it can be
easily damaged and it can be difficult for manufacturers to assessed the damage due to heavy
crashes (Wilhoit and Kisselburgh, 2017).
Titanium: The bike frames made up by Titanium are stronger and long lasting. Thus, they are
considered as the most expensive material for bike frames. It also provides facility of electric
handling and gives the best performance in terms of weight, comfort similar to its rivalry
materials aluminium and steel. The use of these frames can increase the manufacturing cost very
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high. The material is difficult to work with metal tools and specific titanium welding rods are
required which is very costly. Along with cost it also required controlled mechanism during
processing. Most of the titanium forks are combined with carbon forks to reduce expenses in
construction and to provide additional strength to upper tube of bike.
ADDITIONAL TREATMENTS AFFECTING PERFORMANCE AND STRUCTURE
Though the material used in the bike manufacturing have suitable material strength and
properties for the further development process but in order to meet the quality and accurate
functionality certain additional treatments are necessary on materials. These additional
approaches provide long term safety and quality performance to bikes. In bikes which uses steel
frames knocks can be easily observed (Sani and et.al., 2016). To avoid this manufacturer must
ensure that if low quality tubing is employed during process then heavy steel must be preferred.
Similarly, the rusting can also be considered as common issue which can be avoided by painting
the surface.
The jarring rides in aluminium framed bikes can be a critical issue but this can be
resolved by using aluminium alloys and enhancing tubing. For achieving higher ratio of strength
to weight bike frames of aluminium are butted. Single and double butting allows manufacturer to
keep the tubes thicker at one end or at the both ends. In order to provide more strength to
aluminium frames manufacturers can make bike tubes thick and large. However, this will create
extra weight to the frame and as compare to silicon frame it will become heavier.
PRIMARY FORM OF MATERIAL USED
Primarily to manufacture the main body of bikes variety of materials is used. On broad
level these materials can be classified as plastic, rubber and metals. The frame and wheels of the
bikes are made up of metals such as aluminium, steel and titanium. Some manufacturers overlaid
frame with plastic. For constructing tires rubber is preferred. The polymers are also used in
manufacturing process of seats (Manfredi and et.al., 2014). The most popularly used polymer is
polyurethane. The lightweight feature and heat conductivity of aluminium also makes it suitable
for piston which is an important component of engine. Thus, all metallic components are used in
crystalline or alloy form.
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MANUFACTURING OPERATIONAL ROUTE FOR BIKES
 At first all components and raw materials which will be used in manufacturing process
are collected at the site so that all resources are available and manufacturing process can
be accomplished as the schedule and procedure.
 High strength material are used for fabricating bike frame. To initiate the process metal
shells in tubular form or hollow structure are formed with the help of welding. The
process is controlled by computers and involves both robotic, automatic and manual
equipment.
 In the designing phase various attributes such as inseam, height of users, distance
between notch to ground as well as wrist to clavicle are also considered in the designing
prior to the welding process (Srinivas, Thakur and Jain, 2017). It helps to weld the
components with precision.
 The computer controlling fabrication is performed in the initial route so that parts of bike
are designed with accuracy and if any error in dimension or structure occurs then it is not
carried forward to other manufacturing stages.
 For the plastic components of bike pellets of plastic resins are first melted and then
injected into various molds. At this stage high pressure is used so that trim parts of plastic
body can be formed. This procedure is called injection molding.
 When all plastic and metallic components are converted into desired shape and dimension
then all of these components are painted through the powder coating process. The painted
components are then installed on frame of bike. In final stage of bike manufacturing
process other components such as engine, wheels, seats, lights and brakes are installed.
These material are installed in the final phase of manufacturing routing path because
these components are part of electrical or transmission system and they do not require
powder coating (Mathijsen, 2016).
TESTING AND QUALITY PROCESSES
Initially the quality is analysed through visual inspection. The visual analysis gives
description of any error associated with painting or component assembly. For detection of bumps
and finishing defects during manufacturing procedure the bike is also tested with hands. After
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the visual and appearance inspection the functionality and performance of bike is essential to be
tested. Manufacturers uses Dynamometer for measurement of output power of engine. The bike
is accelerated in the vast range such as 0-60 mph to evaluate its performance. At each
acceleration value the test measures the outputs of braking, wheel alignment, shifting, horn and
light functions and alignment. If any of these parameters are not up to the standard then errors
are detected and corrected (Bourzac and et.al., 2017). The finished bikes are also compared with
the international standards associated with safety and performance specifications.
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
The manufacturing process of bikes also have concerns related to the environment. The
materials and processes which are used in the bike manufacturing are responsible for emitting
carbon and other green house gases. The rapidly increasing demand of different bikes has
enhanced the manufacturing rates and consumption of these materials.
According to World steel association one tonne of steel produces around 1.9 tonnes of
carbon dioxide thus before using steel into bike frames it produces significant amount of green
house gases. The expanding use of it in bike manufacturing will definitely raise the percentage.
Along with the manufacturing process the disposal of waste material of bikes is also creating
environmental issues (Kalpakjian, Vijai Sekar and Schmid, 2014). Contrary to the motorcycles
the use of bicycles is environment friendly however the manufacturing process of both forms of
bikes contaminate the environment. The different components of bike such as steel, rubber and
plastic are not obtained from a single country (Examining the lifecycle of a bike – and its green
credentials, 2012). Instead, these materials are obtained from different countries and then
shipped to manufacturing site from where finished bikes are again supplied to the distribution
channels of manufacturers. The shipping of these materials to construction and processing site is
also an essential part of the manufacturing process and shipping via shipment or road transport
also contributes to the pollution.
In context of durability and hardness titanium is known as the best material but 70%
resources are wasted in manufacturing process of titanium based frame. Steel and aluminium
have significant contribution in green house emissions. Thus, it is creating various adverse
impacts on environment and it is the high time that bike manufacturers make suitable strategies
for manufacturing material as well as disposal of the wastage.
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ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Bamboo based bike frames have negative or minimum carbon footprint. Thus, carbon
fibre and bamboo bikes can be effective solution for addressing the sustainability goals in
manufacturing process of bikes. It will also reduce the carbon emission involved in the
transportation of the manufacturing material. Bamboo can be found in most of the locations of
world thus bike manufactures will not have to export their raw material from other countries.
With advanced processing methods new bikes which are more ozone-friendly and have low fuel
consumption are gaining popularity.
One of the key factor which makes motor driven bikes responsible for pollution and other
harmful environment effects is the lack of catalytic converters. These converters can convert
pollutant and other toxic emissions from engine into less toxic and severe pollutants through the
process of redox reaction. This type of controlling devices are installed in cars and other auto
mobile devices. However, bikes have difficulty to install such devices due to fitting problems
and heat management (How Green is Your Bike?, 2015). The development in the process to
install such devices in bikes can lead to more sustainable manufacturing. The emission standards
for bikes are also quite liberal towards bikes as compare to other auto mobiles. The usage of
sustainable materials such as carbon fibre can be helpful to achieve the goals.
Though bamboo frames can be effective solution but still a lot of work and technique is
required so that people and manufacturers can consider this option. To contribute towards
sustainability bike manufacturing companies can focus on reuse and recycle. Many users simply
dump their old bikes into dump-yard. The manufacturers can use their parts by recycling them or
by reusing them to other bikes after necessary finishing process. The solar energy can be used as
the powered energy for these bikes and it will reduce the environment burden which is generated
through other non renewable sources of energy (Collins, Leen and Gibson, 2016).
The changes to packaging methods of bikes and their materials can also help
manufacturers to introduce more sustainability concepts in their procedures. These organisations
can use environment supporting friendly which can be easily reused or decompose will not only
make manufacturing cost effective but will also minimize the resource waste and hazardous
impact on environment. It is also found that a good proportion of the wastage is due to improper
designing of bikes. These results in the rejection in quality test and then they are simply not used.
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The manufacturers can use highly controlled and automated process so that designing errors are
minimized or neglected. The bikes which are discarded due to design errors can be repaired so
that unnecessary burden is not put on the waste management (Kalpakjian, Vijai Sekar and
Schmid, 2014).
CONCLUSION
From the report it can be concluded that analysis of material characteristics can be helpful
to deliver the effective quality of products. It also helps to make the manufacturing process more
qualitative. The report has explained the specifications of materials which are used in
construction of bikes. It has also described the complete operational procedure and different
methodologies for testing. The document has discussed the primary form of material used in
process of manufacturing bike.
It can also be concluded that analysis of material science and manufacturing engineering
is very effective in regulating the quality and performance aspects of bike manufacturing. It can
also be used in determining the environmental constraints associated with the process and how
modifications in material selection and properties can bring more improved results.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Black, J.T. and Kohser, R.A., 2017. DeGarmo's materials and processes in manufacturing. John
Wiley & Sons.
Bourzac, K., Savage, N., and et.al., 2017. Materials and engineering: Rebuilding the
world. Nature,545(7654), pp.S15-S20.
Collins, P.K., Leen, R. and Gibson, I., 2016. Industry case study: rapid prototype of mountain
bike frame section. Virtual and Physical Prototyping, 11(4), pp.295-303.
Kalpakjian, S., Vijai Sekar, K.S. and Schmid, S.R., 2014.Manufacturing engineering and
technology. Pearson.
Manfredi, D., Calignano, F., and et.al., 2014. Additive manufacturing of Al alloys and
aluminium matrix composites (AMCs). In Light metal alloys applications. InTech.
Mathijsen, D., 2016. Beyond carbon fiber: What will be the fibers of choice for future
composites?. Reinforced Plastics,60(1), pp.38-44.
Sani, M.S.M., Nazri, N.A., and et.al., 2016, November. Dynamic Study of Bicycle Frame
Structure. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 160, No.
1, p. 012009). IOP Publishing.
Srinivas, V., Thakur, R.N. and Jain, A.K., 2017. Antiwear, antifriction, and extreme pressure
properties of motor bike engine oil dispersed with molybdenum disulfide
nanoparticles.Tribology Transactions, 60(1), pp.12-19.
Wilhoit, E.D. and Kisselburgh, L.G., 2017. The relational ontology of resistance: Hybridity,
ventriloquism, and materiality in the production of bike commuting as
resistance.Organization, p.1350508417723719.
Online
Examining the lifecycle of a bike – and its green credentials, 2012 [Online] Accessed through
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2012/mar/15/lifecycle-carbon-
footprint-bike-blog>
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How Green is Your Bike?, 2015 [Online] Accessed through <https://momentummag.com/how-
green-is-your-bicycle-manufacturing/>
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