GENERAL NEWS
Sustainable e-motorcycles using robotics
Swedish technology and design startup , STILRIDE , has raised £ 2.5 million to produce sustainable electric motorcycles and scooters using a ground-breaking process dubbed ‘ industrial origami ’. The trailblazing manufacturing technique involves robots which fold single sheets of recyclable steel into intricate , lightweight and durable new structures ( significantly reducing the environmental impact of production ). This process is being used to create the chassis and body for a fleet of next-generation e-motorcycles which will be made available to consumers in Europe later this year .
This £ 2.5m seed round was joined by angels and private investors that include Gustaf Hagman , Saeid Esmaeilizadeh , Sam Bonnier and Andreas Adler .
STILRIDE ’ s industrial origami technology , called STILFOLD , is the brainchild of best friends Tue Beijer and Jonas Nyvang , whose backgrounds span the worlds of fashion , industrial design and engineering . With STILRIDE , the duo aim to reimagine how high-performance electric-mobility products are manufactured and distributed using steelwork , advanced robotics and ambitious design .
The injection of funding will be used to bring the start-up ’ s first product to the mass market : the futuristic Sport Utility Scooter One ( SUS1 ). Unlike traditional scooters ( which consist of a tubular frame and plastic body ), the SUS1 is constructed by folding sheets of stainless steel over curves , much like origami .
“ Not only does this result in a durable body and distinctive aesthetic , but it also requires fewer raw materials and reduces labour costs . Compared to a traditional scooter , the SUS1
A STILRIDE electric scooter .
STILRIDE founders , Tue Beijer and Jonas Nyvang .
requires 70 % fewer components , drives a 25 % reduction in labour costs and a 20 % reduction in material costs ,” the start-up told ISMR .
E-motorcycles are the first application of STILRIDE ’ s proprietary STILFOLD technology . Next , STILRIDE will use this technique to add cargo bikes and trailers to its product offering . To reduce the product ’ s carbon footprint , the company is aiming to create a production process which allows the steel sheet to be flatpacked and shipped to local factories across Europe where they will be folded and fitted with a hub motor and battery pack . Already , the climate impact of developing the SUS1 ’ s
chassis is 50 % lower than that of traditional scooters , according to the company .
“ There are already 90,000 people on the waiting list for the SUS1 e-scooter , with the first pre-series set to be released to customers in the autumn of 2022 ,” confirmed STILRIDE .
Jonas Nyvang , co-founder and chief executive officer of STILRIDE , further commented : “ STILFOLD technology is best described as a dance between robots and steel . We have created a process which builds high-performance , sustainable personal mobility products that are also durable , lightweight and desirable . Using STILFOLD , manufacturers can minimize resource consumption and waste , cut down on labour costs and ultimately reduce the environmental impact of production . We ’ re launching in Europe first , as it ’ s a market that relies heavily on outsourcing and has much to gain from increasing its domestic manufacturing capabilities . Next , we will look to expand into other international markets .” n
. stilride . com
Material testing : automated and digitalised
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The voestalpine Steel Division produces high and ultra-high-strength steels at its site in Linz ( Austria ). These are used , for instance , in the premium automotive segment and are required to meet stringent quality standards . Since February 2022 , its comprehensive testing and approvals process for cold strip products is now being done in a newly constructed 23 million-euro , 4000m 2 testing centre there .
The new testing centre controls the quality of cold-rolled , hot-dip galvanized , electrogalvanized and coated steel strip , as well as electrical steel . At the centre , 95 per cent of all samples — an international record , according to the manufacturer — are fully automatically
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measured , processed and pre-sorted for subsequent process steps .
“ Digitalisation in all areas of the business is a cornerstone of our corporate strategy . Automating and digitalising testing is another important step in expanding our global technology and innovation leadership . We are setting new standards in this field ,” said Herbert Eibensteiner , Chairman of the Management Board , voestalpine AG . Depending upon the product , anything from 50 to 2,000 chemical , mechanical , technological or magnetic tests are performed for every 1,000 tons of steel strip . The laboratory performs around 50,000 tests per month on average , and this figure is growing .
The entire process of manufacturing ,
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testing , and analysing samples has been standardised and completely restructured . “ This has allowed us to significantly reduce testing times . We can also report back to the research teams faster , speeding up the process of development ,” explained Hubert Zajicek , Member of the Management Board , voestalpine AG , and head of the steel division . The logistics are also being fully digitalised and , in the future , driver-less transport systems are expected to bring samples to the individual testing and analysis stations in an efficient sequence . n
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Herbert Eibensteiner .
Hubert Zajicek .
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8 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR March 2022 |
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