URWAHN positions AM at forefront of Smart Bike Factory Made in Germany initiative
German bike manufacturer joins forces with wheelset and component maker for a fully integrated additive manufacturing-led supply chain
URWAHN Bikes, an innovative German bicycle manufacturer making 3D printed frames, has teamed up with wheelset manufacturer Roland to launch the Smart Bike Factory Made in Germany initiative.
The program will combine URWAHN’s additively manufactured frame platforms with Roland’s highly automated wheel production and digitized processes, to strengthen regional value creation in the German bicycle sector.
The companies will match wheelsets and bicycles to one another in terms of performance, weight and safety, and the cooperation will span design, engineering, testing and shared quality assurance and traceability standards.
“Urwahn challenges us in the best possible way. We work in short cycles, with high variance and a clear focus on quality,” stated Heiko Plorin, Managing Director of Roland. “That forces us to rethink processes, reduce set-up times, further develop our automation and remain flexible at the same time.
“This is precisely what makes the partnership so valuable – it pushes both of us forward technologically.”
URWAHN produces its SOFTRIDE steel bike frames using LPBF, in a process developed in partnership with Trumpf, now operating as Atlix, and last month introduced a new titanium frame built using AM.
“We are no longer talking about a conventional supplier set-up, but about an integrated part of our value chain,” explained Leonard Harress, COO at URWAHN. “For us, Roland is both a local hero and a technology partner. Together, we no longer think of wheelsets as mere components, but as an integral part of a smart bike factory, where quality, automation, digitalisation and flexibility come together.
“When we talk about a smart bike factory, we are not just referring to our own site in Magdeburg, but to the entire network of partners operating at the same level of quality and technological sophistication. Roland is very much part of that for us.”
The cycling industry continues to consolidate in the face of a prolonged dip, which started in the wake of its COVID boom in demand. This partnership is being positioned as a long-term response to the wider industry conditions.
“Resilience in times of crisis does not emerge from gut feeling, but from robust structures and reliable partnerships,” added Harress. “Roland is one of those partners with whom we not only master current challenges, but also shape the next stage of industrialisation in the bike segment.
“At the same time, the message to the market is clear: the shared infrastructure – consisting of 3D printing, engineering expertise, automated wheel building and digitalised workflows – is not a closed system behind locked doors. It is intended as an open platform for further collaborations with companies that want to rethink mobility, technology and production.”
