In addition to a bionic car seat for e-mobility, an adaptive robot gripper and a 360° mobile industrial platform for automation applications, the German 3D printing specialist BigRep presented at Formnext 2018 the e-motorbike NERA, which comes from the 3D printer
World Innovation
NERA is the world’s first fully FFF 3D printed, fully functional electric motorcycle. It was developed by BigRep’s Innovation Consulting Department, NOWlab, and then implemented on the BigRep large capacity 3D printers. In contrast to similar prototypes, all components of the NERA, apart from the electrical components, come from the BigRep 3D printers, i.e. also the tires, wheel forks and wheel rims as well as the frame or seat.
Source: BigRep, Instagram
Concept and Features
When developing the NERA, the engineers did not simply adopt existing motorcycle designs, but designed an electric motorcycle specifically for high volume 3D printing with fused filament fabrication technology, overcoming the limitations of conventional engineering technology.
The NERA’s innovations include, for example, the airless tires with individually selectable profiles, diamond-shaped lightweight wheel rims, flexible 3D-printed TPU cushions instead of conventional shock absorbers, and an electric motor in an adaptable housing.
Source: BigRep
