BORN Motor Co.’s exclusive 3D printed motorcycle parts

BORN Motor Co. is switching from components made using traditional processes to end-use 3D printed motorcyle parts, and is saving €2,000 per modified motorcycle in doing so.

Traditional processes can be time-consuming, expensive for short runs of production, and can limit the design freedom of engineers. The automotive company BORN Motor Co. has decided to break free from the chains of tradition and make the BCN3D Sigma a part of their daily workflow. This decision has empowered its engineers to create more complex parts with a fraction of the previous effort, time, and money.

The challenge

The company, based in Calella, Barcelona, produces high-quality deconstructed motorcycles. BORN also designs limited editions and upgrade kits for motorcycles and, as an industrial design studio, collaborates with several motorcycle manufacturers in aspects of aesthetic design. 

Of course, this means that exclusivity and originality are distinctive features for the BORN products. Its design and activities are all purposeful and meaningful, and a lot of inspiration is taken from the team and the individuals they surround themselves with. 

In order to follow through with this concept of individualization and uniqueness, BORN has been using traditional manufacturing technologies, such as laser cutting and CNC milling, and creating custom pieces by hand. 

However, both of these options are time-consuming and expensive for short runs of production. In addition, such technologies limit the design freedom and the creation of complex, custom pieces. 

BORN contemplated investing in injection molds for certain parts, but the low volume production meant that it wasn’t the solution they were looking for. 

3D printed motorcycle parts to the rescue

3D printing has allowed BORN to speed up its creative process in every stage, from design to testing and manufacture. The team is now capable of faster iteration and of refining designs in a straightforward workflow. They have overcome design limitations imposed on them by the previous manufacturing technologies used. 

Thanks to the versatility that the BCN3D Sigma 3D printer offers, BORN engineers now are able to fabricate end-use pieces made of different materials, such as Nylon, PET-G, or ABS, for a variety of applications. 

Cutting costs

Regarding costs, there are several factors to be considered: size, function and geometry all specify which manufacturing technology is ideal for the specific custom part. The following table is based on the modification of a dash housing for a Honda CB25 and portrays the cost efficiency of 3D printing in this case.

	Handcrafted	Machined	3D Printed
Iterations	1/part	2/part	6/part
Costs (labor, materials and service fee)	1500€/part	250€/part	6€/part
Lead time	24h/part	2-3 weeks	5-8h/part

Creative freedom

Now that 3D printing is part of the daily life at BORN, the designers are empowered to create more complex parts with a fraction of the previous effort, time and money. While before the staff dedicated a lot of time to handcrafted components, now they can focus on higher added-value parts. 

3D printing for internal or non-aesthetic parts has opened the door to new solutions and design strategies, enriching BORN’s design process and the final outcome, while reducing the time-to-market and overall labor costs.. Are you interested to find out what BCN3D Technologies can do for your business? Contact us, we would love to hear from you!