From making detailed and realistic life-sized action figurines to even making a bicycle made through 3D printing, we’ve all seen the potential of 3D printing technology, but this is bigger than them all.

3D printing giant BigRep and NOWlab have come together to unveil the world’s first completely 3D printed e-motorbike, the NERA. Except the electronics, everything has been made using 3D printing technology. Even the tyres, which are airless, are 3D-printed, along with the frame, bodywork and suspension of the NERA.

 

 
 
 

 
 

A video released by BigRep, showcases the bike on roads but seems to be extremely unstable, which gives the impression of the bike not seeming practical in any way. But the bike wasn’t unveiled to be a competitor for Kawasaki or Harley Davidson motorcycles, but just to simply prove the soaring potential of 3D printing technology.

 

In a report by Dezeen, NOWlab co-founder Daniel Büning is quoted saying, “NERA illustrates the massive benefits that 3D-printing offers for the production of end-use parts, particularly for batch sizes between lot size one [small quantities manufactured in a single production run] to small series, by reducing lead times and costs, optimising supply chains and limiting dependency on supplier networks.”

The name itself is derived from the slogan “New Era”. The bike seeks visual inspiration from the Batmobile and the ultra futuristic vehicles seen in Blade Runner.

The NERA was 3D-printed using the fused filament fabrication (FFF) process, which sends a continuous filament of thermoplastic material through a moving, heated printer.

 

 

 

 

 
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Author: Rajeev Mathew