Bicycle seats are a 3D printing success story. Typically made utilizing Carbon’s expertise, high-end street bike saddles are actually on supply from most premium bike saddle manufacturers. Retailing for over $300, these are very worthwhile. The seats unfold impression and weight higher, are cooler, and have been optimized to cut back long-term ache from lengthy bike rides and sores. Lattice constructions could be optimized all through the saddle, and relying in your bones, butt, and trip, you may get a special seat. These seats could be individualized, however few corporations are doing this now. Bike seats are additionally part of a higher-value merchandise with a excessive per-kilo price, equivalent to racing bikes. Generally retailing for over $5,000, these bikes weigh lower than 9 kilos. That worth and weight, coupled with efficiency will increase that include diminished weight, higher stability, trip, and larger stiffness, imply that just about any materials and manufacturing course of is feasible. Attributable to various constraints and options that may be optimized, many designs and constructions could be particularly made for a rider or goal to extend efficiency in a single dimension. Given the excessive fetishization of racing bikes and the numerous hours followers spend watching them on TV, bicycle seating is maybe one of the best case state of affairs for seating. Tour de France bikes, in the meantime, which used to price round $5,000 only some years in the past, now vary from $8,500 to $16,569 for the complete bike that you simply see on TV. With a mean weight of 7.497 kg (and a minimal of 6.8 kg), the associated fee per kilo is staggering. Costs for the most costly bikes are actually approaching $2,000 per kilo.
Bike seats are, due to this fact, undoubtedly outliers and significantly engaging for 3D printing. However, as we develop cheaper and extra environment friendly as an trade, might we broaden into totally different seating altogether? What about automotive and plane seats or maybe workplace chairs? These purposes appear much less probably because the pads will most likely need to be bigger, and the associated fee for this stuff is decrease, or there isn’t a actual room for personalization.
Automobile Seats
Rear seating of the Kia EV2 idea, exhibiting the 3D knit backrest and modular bench design. Picture courtesy of Kia.
There was quite a lot of work on 3D printed automotive seats already. Certainly, some examples are public. A latest instance from Kia reveals off the EV2 idea automotive with 3D printed seat pads by OECHSLER. These pads go additional than others in that they showcase a complete rear two-seater bench produced from a single 3D printed cushion. OECHSLER says that, “The automotive continues to be an idea, however we used expertise, materials, and processes which do permit us to transition this outcome immediately into serial automobiles, as all specs can be met.” As one of many driving forces behind bike seats, in addition to backpack padding and different related purposes, OECHSLER is shortly turning into the primary participant in 3D printed padding and past. It additionally actually helps that they’ve deep expertise as an automotive provider. On this case, these seats use Ahead AM powder made on an HP MJF machine. The change to MJF might be as a result of it’s nonetheless unattainable to meaningfully recycle resins, and automotive corporations need extra sustainable processes and supplies. Flame retardancy might additionally play a task.
Entrance row of the Kia EV2 idea highlighting the minimalist dashboard, red-accented steering wheel, and built-in ambient lighting. Picture courtesy of Kia.
If anybody could make this occur, it’s OECHSLER; they’ve the size, experience, heft, and imaginative and prescient for this. However, does it make sense? For many automobiles and most prospects, most likely not. But when the corporate might supply this both as an aftermarket accent, as a selected possibility for individuals with again ache, or as an costly however significant possibility with the automotive firm, it might work. In every of those circumstances, we are able to develop a mechanism that enables some to pay for it in the event that they discover it significant. Given the numerous hours many spend of their automobiles, a product like this or a custom-made one that’s much more snug might discover an viewers.
What’s extra, as an aftermarket product, it might create a brand new product line or a brand new method to method the market. At the moment, automotive corporations see the aftermarket as a income stream when issues break. However it may additionally see thousands and thousands of previous prospects as an put in base to promote upgrades to. This might be very profitable if performed effectively.
Porsche 911 completed within the ultra-rare “Explosive Gold” paint possibility, a customized shade reportedly priced at round $100,000. Picture courtesy of Porsche.
Porsche gives an possibility known as Paint to Pattern, which lets you choose a uncommon shade in your automotive. However there may be additionally Paint to Pattern Plus, which helps you to make a novel shade. This reportedly prices round $43,000 on the GT3, a automotive with a base value of $222,000. If a fifth of a automotive might be spent on a shade, I’m pondering that for Porsche and related manufacturers, 3D printed seating is doable, on the very least for the driving force’s seat. If somebody desires a barely crazier purple on a GT3 for the value of a 2019 Cayenne or Macan, we actually ought to be capable of determine this out, particularly if we are able to customise it to somebody’s physique and enhance consolation.
If Porsche can promote individuals a $100,000 paint job, then we must always cease complaining about price as one thing deterring us from getting into the automotive market. It’s merely a query of discovering the correct marketer. We must always not attempt to compete with each Camry, however fairly supply a worth proposition to Porsche, Koenigsegg, BMW, and the like that enables us to supply 3D printed automotive seats as an possibility. At no threat to them, they are often the primary to make their prospects extra snug as an possibility that may make them extra money. That is technically and financially possible now, at the least for the driving force’s seat. No extra jammering about prices, however as a substitute we take a tightly constructed worth proposition to all of the automotive corporations of the world, and one among them will say sure. Will or not it’s Ford, GM, or Mercedes? I’m undecided, however I’m 100% optimistic that one of many hungry, bold Chinese language gamers will say sure in the event that they don’t.
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