igus bike components made of plastic -
revolutionise the bi:cycle

igus has been manufacturing products such as plain bearings, rod ends, gears and guide rails for the bicycle industry for over thirty years - now the next step follows. Because igus is becoming a manufacturer of bicycle components! In addition to decades of expertise in plastics processing, the development experience of the plastic bicycle igus:bike presented in 2022 will also be incorporated into the new products. As is typical for igus, the bicycle components are made of high-performance plastic - either by injection moulding or rotomoulding. In this way, high and low volume production can be realised cost-effectively - and "Made in Cologne"! The largest among the current projects is the development and production of plastic e-bike frames for city and trekking bikes. In addition to the production of complete bicycle frames, igus is focussing on a completely new, self-developed concept: modular frames that can be produced in a time and cost-efficient manner. In addition, igus offers bicycle handlebars, wheels, cranks, pedals and various other bicycle components made from high-performance plastics.

Advantages of igus plastic components:

• CO₂-reduced manufacturing process
• Made from recycled material
• 100% recyclable
• Local production
• Short supply chains
• Outstanding stiffness-to-weight (STW) factor
• Resistant to dirt
• Corrosion-resistant
• Diverse design options

igus focuses on high quality and sustainability in production - but how do sustainability and plastic go together? The explanation is quite simple: bicycle components made of plastic require much less energy during production than their aluminium or carbon counterparts, and the CO2 footprint is significantly smaller. Even after the end of the product life cycle, recycling is much easier than with competing materials.

In addition, recycled materials are already used in the production of igus bike components. The declared aim is to manufacture the products entirely from recycled materials and to take them back at the end of their service life. These are then used to manufacture new products - creating a circular economy. Another factor that should not be neglected: thanks to production in Cologne, the usual long transport routes by container ship are no longer necessary.

Design
The developers at igus combine design and function - for products that not only function perfectly, but also look good.

Product development
Product development is the driving force behind igus - up to 150 new product launches per year from in-house development demonstrate the innovative capacity of igus.

Prototypes
Rapid prototyping - initial samples can be produced within a few days using 3D printing, SLS printing, turned from bar stock or from a fast-line mould.

Simulation
Various simulation options for perfect products.

In-house compounding
Material development for high-performance plastics.

In-house toolmaking
The award-winning in-house toolmaking department enables rapid development of customised injection moulds.

In-house test laboratory
Safety is the top priority at igus. igus has its own test laboratory, which covers an area of 3,800 square metres. All bicycle components, e.g. frames, handlebars, wheels, and cranks are tested here on over 25 bicycle test rigs.

High volume production
With over 800 injection moulding and rotomoulding machines in Germany and other production facilities at the igus locations around the world, we guarantee short distances and fast delivery times.

Recycling / Sustainability
With Chainge, igus relies on its own sustainability program and thus ensures the recycling of its own products.