Tag Archives: 3D Printed Airless Tires

BigRep’s airless 3D- printed tires will make you ‘dump the pump’

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It’s been too long that we’ve stared at these marvelous, promising airless 3D printed tires but with no clear timeline of when they’ll actually make their real-world debut. Channeling that frustration into something productive, BigRep designed a 3D printed airless tire of their own that they then went on to print on their own using their PRO FLEX Filament, a TPU based industrial-grade filament. Flexible enough to easily bend and fit onto your regular tire hub, and durable enough to handle roads with relative ease, the airless tire comes with a honeycomb-style construction that gives it its springiness and shape-memory, and is more of BigRep’s experiment of putting their PRO FLEX filament to the test. The PRO FLEX Filament can be used with the BigRep One industrial 3D-printer and it boasts “high-temperature resistance, low-temperature impact resistance” and durability “with excellent damping behavior and dynamic properties.”

While BigRep doesn’t plan on mass manufacturing tires yet, the printers and the filament are up for purchase, allowing you to experiment on your own designs and even test out treads that allow the 3D printed tires to work on wet roads or terrains. Unlike Bridgestone’s airless tire that is an entire wheel in itself, BigRep’s tires can be retrofitted on any bike by ditching the current tire tube, and can more importantly, be customized to the max!

Designer: BigRep

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BigRep’s airless 3D- printed tires will make you ‘dump the pump’

Posted on by

It’s been too long that we’ve stared at these marvelous, promising airless 3D printed tires but with no clear timeline of when they’ll actually make their real-world debut. Channeling that frustration into something productive, BigRep designed a 3D printed airless tire of their own that they then went on to print on their own using their PRO FLEX Filament, a TPU based industrial-grade filament. Flexible enough to easily bend and fit onto your regular tire hub, and durable enough to handle roads with relative ease, the airless tire comes with a honeycomb-style construction that gives it its springiness and shape-memory, and is more of BigRep’s experiment of putting their PRO FLEX filament to the test. The PRO FLEX Filament can be used with the BigRep One industrial 3D-printer and it boasts “high-temperature resistance, low-temperature impact resistance” and durability “with excellent damping behavior and dynamic properties.”

While BigRep doesn’t plan on mass manufacturing tires yet, the printers and the filament are up for purchase, allowing you to experiment on your own designs and even test out treads that allow the 3D printed tires to work on wet roads or terrains. Unlike Bridgestone’s airless tire that is an entire wheel in itself, BigRep’s tires can be retrofitted on any bike by ditching the current tire tube, and can more importantly, be customized to the max!

Designer: BigRep

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3D Printed Tires that Never Die!

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Even when I was a kid (which was a long time ago), I remember thinking how air-filled tires really are less than desirable and that there must be a more sensible, solid solution. My dad, an engineer, said the technology was available even back then but that tire companies would never let it happen because they’d stop making money off the millions of replacements each year! Conspiracy or not, the serious future of autonomous cars and ridesharing might mean it’s time to take the idea seriously. Michelin is currently exploring this opportunity with this incredible 3D printed airless tire system they’re calling the “Visionary Concept.”

According to Michelin, the system is composed of three distinct parts:

First, a wheel with no air, designed to last as long as the vehicle. Its ultra-durability comes from its honeycomb structure, which is inspired by natural models (Michelin calls it generative design: a form that mimics natural growth processes). It is made of recycled materials and it is also fully recyclable at the end of its life.

Next, tread that can be replenished by a 3D printer. The material draws on cold cure technology and delivers the same performances as a conventional tread. One notable difference, however… it’s completely biodegradable! Let’s say your tire’s tread is worn or maybe your road conditions have changed (rain, snow, heat, etc.)… you can actually print the tread you need in a matter of minutes at a number of strategically placed printing stations! What’s more, 3D printing is an additive technology, which means that it adds just the quantity of material that is necessary, where it is necessary, with no waste or loss.

Lastly, MICHELIN Visionary Concept is connected… meaning it communicates with your vehicle and your vehicle communicates with it. Without getting out of your car or even leaving your home, you can be informed of the wear on your tread and program a tread reprint.

Designer: Michelin

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