Passoni’s new Omni OT-01 bike combines 3D printed and machined titanium
The adoption of additive manufacturing in the cycling world has been increasing in recent years, with high-performance bike makers leveraging various versions of the technology to engineer more lightweight, aerodynamic, and high performance components. Just last week, we covered a case study on how Polish bicycle parts producer Alugear had successfully reduced the weight of a crankset by 50% by using titanium additive manufacturing. Now, Italy-based Passoni, a company that specializes in making carbon-fiber, steel and titanium bike frames, has unveiled its latest product, the Omni OT-01, which integrates 3D printed titanium components.
The newly unveiled bike brings titanium to the fore, using the strong but lightweight metal to create a frame that is “lighter, stiffer, and cleaner than ever.” The entire structure weighs just 1.4 kg, marking a reduction of 120 grams compared to its Titanio Disco road bike frame. Notably, the high-performance bike frame integrates titanium structures made using a variety of fabrication methods. The head tube, for instance, which Passoni has optimized for steering precision and stiffness, was machined in three parts from Grade 5 titanium billets. The dropouts, critical components that secure the wheel axles to the frame, were made using titanium 3D printing. Passoni emphasizes that it was able to redesign the dropouts to be fully enclosed, resulting in a more streamlined visual look and “a more balanced frame silhouette.”
The new Omni OT-01 bike frame is priced starting at €8,560 ($10,155) and, like Passoni’s other titanium two-wheelers, is made to order at its studio in Milan. The specialty bicycle manufacturer has benefitted from integrating metal AM into its design and production workflows, exploiting the ability to produce complex geometries and optimized structures while minimizing expensive titanium waste.
“At Passoni Titanium we can use 3D printing to produce very complex shapes,” said Passoni owner Matteo Cassina. “These sorts of things wouldn’t be possible working by hand or with instruments like a CNC machine.” The company’s use of 3D printing goes back to 2018 and it has consciously steered clear of using the technology for novelty’s sake, opting instead to make specific components from 3D printed titanium in cooperation with a local partner.
As Cassina elaborated: “With technology, it’s easy to show off what you can do but become distracted from the goal of creating better bikes. Previously everyone wanted to show off their 3D printed parts. For me, it’s always important that any element is both useful and integrated seamlessly into the bike.” The new Passoni bike, which strategically combines CNC machined titanium and 3D printed titanium, exemplifies this dynamic and demonstrates how the technologies are being used in tandem to create high-performance velocipedes.
