The TransFIORmers Bike
The TransFIORmers Bike
If you were to strip away the branding and sponsorship, line-up all of the bikes in the Moto2 paddock, the likelihood is you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. But there is one, thanks to the completely different front suspension system, that would stick out like a sore thumb, that bike is called TransFIORmers and takes its name from the maverick French Bike designer, Claude Fior.
Fior believed that his suspension design dramatically improved the handling of the motorcycle, allowing for improved stability and later braking into corners, rider of a Fior designed 250cc competition bike in the 80s, Christian Boudinot, concurred. Three decades down the line Boudinot formed his own Moto2 team, Team Promoto Sport and is dedicated to bringing his mentor’s suspension design back with an additively manufactured twist.
“Jean-Baptiste Péjoine, of I3D Concept introduced us to additive manufacturing,” Jérôme Aldeguer, Mechanical Engineer, TransFIORmers, tells TCT. “We wanted to identify what would be the most suitable component to 3D print. As the idea of using metal additive manufacturing for structural parts is still not widely spread, we thought making the wishbone would be a good demonstration of the capability of the process and to prove we can make real parts, not only prototyping.”
Transfiormers old wishbone was made in 12 individual parts
Transfiormers old wishbone was made in 12 individual parts
That wishbone component is key to the FIOR suspension system and the original wishbone consisted of 12 individually machined or welded parts in steel. Working with I3D Concept the TransFIORmers team set about making those parts in one shot using I3D’s metal 3D printing system, Renishaw AM250.
“Using topological optimisation, we’ve been able to take advantage of the additive manufacturing possibilities to design a component not only lighter but also more rigid,” says Aldeguer. “We’ve reduced the weight by almost 40%. Achieving that gain is really important in that kind of part to improve the “bump following” ability of the suspension.”
New Wishbone design printed in one shot
New Wishbone design printed in one shot
The finished part is printed in titanium Ti6AI4V alloy and weighs 600 g less than its traditional counterpart at the same time as being more rigid with a tensile strength in excess of 1100 MPa. Thanks to that rigidity, weight-loss and the totally new riding experience the team won its first ever Moto2 GP race in June 2016. So successful has Renishaw’s metal 3D printing proved the team are looking to see what other parts of the bike could be additively manufactured.
Wishbone in place on bike's suspension
Wishbone in place on bike's suspension
“We are totally convinced additive manufacturing has a great future in motorsports,” says Aldeguer. “We are already working on the upper plate to do an even more light part, using topological optimisation. But we are also looking further; building a titanium chassis is something we are thinking about.”
