Materialise and Nuova Società Piemontese Automobili (SPA) have begun a long-term manufacturing partnership – their first project is a 3D printed upgrade for the Bicicletto e-bike.

Nuova SPA is a historical Italian automotive brand which was launched in 1947. After being revived in 2014, the company is now working on bringing high-tech engineering to classic design. Their project, the Bicicletto e-bike, aims to blur the lines between motorbikes and bicycles. The company decided to pair up with Materialise NV to give the bike a 3D printed touch.

By using 3D printing, the bike will be easier to build, faster to ride and lighter to carry. Julianto Imprescia, CEO, Nuova SPA, said:

“3D Printing was a major contributor to our R&D process, it has made production easier, and it’s also helping us bring down costs. Bringing Additive Manufacturing to an already-running design, like the Bicicletto, can be challenging but dedicated collaboration helped us achieve it.”

An E-Bike Biccicletto: Quite a Luxurious Ride

SPA’s aim is to create e-bikes which have a vintage look and feel, but are technically up to date. Materialise and SPA will be working on combining innovation and luxury. Alessio Esposti, Account Manager, Materialise Italy, explained:

“For Additive Manufacturing to bring end-use parts to a premium e-bike like this, it takes more than just 3D printing facilities. It takes dedicated post-production, rigorous quality control, and in-house engineering expertise. With this collaboration, we look forward to broadening the horizons of the automotive industry through Additive Manufacturing.”

Nuova SPA will be working on two-wheeler and four-wheeler bikes, all of which will incorporate 3D printing. An electric bike will be build which is to be considered a new version of the Bicicletto e-bike.

It is hoped that through this partnership, Materialise will be able to strengthen the role of 3D printing in automotive production.

Imprescia continued: “Working with Materialise has been a gift, particularly with respect to having Materialise’s decades of additive manufacturing expertise at our disposal.”

Source: Materialise