The development status of titanium bicycle industry

Titanium was developed for bicycle and wheelchair frames in the mid-1980s, and its use grew rapidly, but as these small markets began to heat up, its use worldwide slowed.

Bicycle frames

From floating in recent years because of the defence cuts and aircraft industry, make the production of Ti - 3 Al - 2.5 V l pipe three companies to bicycle industry, but the world production of bicycle frame is one 3 Al - 2.5 V Less than three Boeing 747 aircraft use titanium (130 t). There are nearly 50 companies producing titanium bicycle, 90% of the world's total titanium frame from several original equipment manufacturers (OE), the remaining 10% of one and a half is their production by the United States, the United States has long is one of the biggest titanium bicycle producer and consumer. In 2015, is likely to be titanium frame with the highest sales one year, Probably will produce 17000 deputy titanium frame, the total weight of about 82 tons of materials, including all titanium tubes, rods and plates. When cyclists in growing Numbers are beginning to understand the benefits of titanium, but feel poorer, with air quality pipe production of Ti – 3Al-2.5 V frame, each pair of price between $1600 and 3 500, the whole bike price from $400 to $400. In the past four years, pure titanium tube and the air with fine made of titanium alloy frame popular,Some sports titanium frames retail for as little as $1,000 a pair and $1,700 for the whole bike.

2. Bicycle parts

Bicycle parts is connected to the frame on the crankshaft locator, pedal, handlebar, such as titanium parts industry than punishment frame industry developing fast, most of the parts is made of Ti - 6 Al - 4 V, most is in bar or sheet metal machining parts. Parts with the purchasing power of the Ti - 6 Al-4 V just Ti - 3 Al- 2.5 V frame about 10 t  of 7 years. Casting parts but SB is more and more common, but the development is likely to be slower than development of machining parts, titanium supplier to titanium components manufacturers to provide cheaper materials, most of the low cost bike grade material, in fact, elimination of aviation materials.

Wheelchair frame and parts

Wheelchair market in many ways is different from the bicycle market, the most important difference is only a small amount of titanium wheelchair frame production at present, most is to use a seam of industrial pure titanium pipe production, titanium wheelchair overall purchasing power of about 55 t. currently in the United States only a few companies have plenty of research and development funds to develop titanium wheelchairs or buying material. Compared with cheaper aluminium wheelchair, the advantages of titanium wheelchair is not much, now in addition to titanium screw bolt, titanium wheelchair parts industry has not yet formed, although there is a market, but is very small, only included a small amount of consumption parts.

4. Material requirements

Compact, good rigidity, light weight, bicycles and wheelchairs to drive standard one request, titanium is often not the best material, casting and forging aluminum and aluminum is more popular, if the price of titanium matrix composites (MMCs) down, has the potential to be the substitute some aluminum application market.

Bike rack frame material requirement is very simple, but it is important to driving characteristics, complicate the choice of material in some ways, most of the transportation, the structure components and internal facilities and operating components are separated, until recently, all requests for bicycle frame has the structural integrity and suspension function. There is no one kind of titanium alloy is designed specifically for the bike, only some materials have been improved for bicycle, most people consider is to reduce cost, and acceptance of the major problems facing titanium parts is rigid rather than cost.

Ti-3al-2.5v is the most commonly used titanium alloy for bicycles. Although it is developed for aircraft hydraulic system, it is formed and corrosion resistant.High fatigue strength and weight ratio and good elongation performance standards make it conform to the bicycle market, compared with the other titanium alloy, Ti - 3-2.5 V is one of the biggest advantages is the yield strength and tube forming is easy, the disadvantage is that its price and modulus and density contrast. If you want to put the Ti - 3-2.5 V out as the dominant position of the frame material is not easy. Ai Ti - 6-4 V also has certainly attractive, its modulus and the strong degree are better than Ti - 3-2.5 V Gao Yi,However, it is difficult to make pipe as small as bicycle frame.Ti 1 15v-3al 1 6cr-4mo-4zr is also easy to be formed, but its high density and low modulus offset its advantages in strength improvement.

The wheelchair frame

Wheelchair frame materials and basic one sample bicycle frame is aluminum, carbon fiber, titanium and steel materials, such as dry chair frame as far as possible not heel. But not heel frame line ride and control problems, at this kind of frame to send acerbity, and stiff frame often lead to three wheels touch the ground, this is because the ground uneven or frame to the imperfect, and three wheels, leading to the wheelchair can't drive straight, is not easy to manipulate.Correct design of titanium wheelchairs by torsional flexibility by improving traction, manipulation, and the user fatigue and titanium also has the ability to rebound. Although Ti one 3, 6-15 V cr - 4 mo one 4 zr density is higher, but the bending characteristics, to that of the Ti -3 AL - 2.5 V one sample with 1 bow force absorption, secondly it low modulus and Ti - 3-2.53 / frame compared to improve flexibility and comfortable sex.

5. Market development

If you are interested in titanium industry development titanium sports goods industry, including car and wheelchair by oneself, is not only to producers, but also to promote the end user of the product. After the failure of the 70 s titanium frame, although because Ti - 3 Al-2.5 V the reputation of the excellent properties of pipe made of titanium has improved, but it is vulnerable to the cheap to market the threat of industrial pure titanium frame, plus there is one small company in the production of titanium frame, they do not have knowledge and resources necessary to create successful titanium products, these will affect the reputation in the field of titanium in the bicycle industry and other consumer goods,A few years ago on the yacht industry has encountered this problem, make titanium sailing in high technology market reputation, titanium is still forbidden by the authorities on the racing boats, use this kind of problem can be completely avoided by propaganda.

6. Research and development

Due to bicycles and wheelchairs industry with yacht industry one kind, the technology is mature in the aviation industry, most companies spend on research and development more than on the sales, so if factory would like to bicycle factory marketing materials, you must do some responsibility for research. The wheelchair and bicycle industry over the past 100 years are using steel as the material of material, very little aspects need to improve, so only a handful of engineers engaged in research, one kind,Steel bicycle pipe processing plant than frame maker to know how to produce a durable the bicycle frame much more. Most of the studies of the applicability of the titanium alloy in special applications one straight is aviation producers to carry out the work, but the bike industry can't also don't want to investment in research. So the titanium manufacturer if you want to improve market share, they must support the design process of consumer products, to the bicycle and wheelchair company selling materials must be aware of long-term growth will come from education is very important.

Attn : Jason

Email: jasontitanium@163.com

Skype: txcanberra