Revolutionizing Bicycle Saddle Manufacturing

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Relevant Industry Trends:

In the cycling industry, there's a growing emphasis on striking the perfect balance between comfort and performance. An example that perfectly demonstrates this is with saddles. Cyclists demand saddles that offer optimal support and comfort while enhancing power transfer and decreasing weight. Moreover, there's an increasing focus on the aesthetic appeal of saddles, with cyclists viewing them as both functional components and fashion accessories.

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Industry Challenge and Needs:

Manufacturers face several challenges in meeting these demands. Producing high-quality saddles with innovative features incurs significant costs, particularly when using advanced materials and manufacturing processes. Achieving a balance between cost-effectiveness and delivering value to customers remains a constant struggle. Additionally, the current technology infrastructure limits manufacturers' ability to achieve significant weight reduction and meet the growing demand for lighter saddles at scale. Speeding up production cycles while maintaining high repeatability and minimizing costs further compounds the challenge.

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How We Solve It:

9T Labs' Additive Fusion Technology™ offers a unique solution to these challenges through three key technical components:

• Optimal Material Placement: Leveraging the unique properties of continuous printed, discontinuous long, and short fibers, we achieve the ideal balance between weight and cost. By using the right material mix, we can optimize saddle performance while minimizing production expenses.
• 3D Segmented Design: Our approach enables the printing of simple geometries in large quantities. This not only accelerates production cycles but also ensures high repeatability.
• Advanced Molding Technology: Our utilization of advanced molding technologies enables the production of monolithic structures. This results in superior strength resistance, reduced cycle times, and a higher level of automation in the manufacturing process.

Moreover, our manufacturing approach emphasizes sustainability by enabling the recycling and reuse of all waste materials for cradle-to-cradle upcycling.

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Outcomes Achieved with Additive Fusion Technology™:

With our AFT solution, saddle manufacturers can create a monolithic carbon composite saddle supplemented with additional padding at a mid-range MSRP, while meeting crucial criteria such as a lightweight of approximately 120g, comfort, and unmatched aesthetics. 

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Want to Know More?

Discover how 9T Labs' Additive Fusion Technology™ and smart factories can support you in revolutionizing the production and industrialization of thermoplastic high-performance bicycle saddles. Contact us today to explore the possibilities.

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