Re-Cycle your E-cycle. New life for bike motors
The researchers at Fraunhofer IPA provide an insight into the remanufacturing of electric bike components in the RemanLab, a new learning environment for remanufacturing
A team of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA demonstrated in a study with its partners that electric bike motors can be remanufactured in keeping with the concept of a modern circular economy.
“If the motor or battery fails, it’s usually the case that the entire component is replaced, even though it may only be one gear that’s faulty. It is rarely worthwhile for electric bike workshops to repair a motor or battery, and manufacturers also have a vested interest in replacing old motors, which are the biggest cost drivers in electric bikes, with new ones,” says Jan Koller, project manager and group leader at Fraunhofer IPA, describing the dilemma. “Our goal was to implement a value retention network by establishing an industrial remanufacturing process where a large number of motors (between 50 and 100) go through the process.”
The failure of a component of an electric bike may result in a total loss. In a study, researchers at Fraunhofer IPA have demonstrated that manufacturing spare parts using additive manufacturing is worthwhile.
To perpetuate the achievements of this project, the process chain for remanufacturing electric bike motors will be implemented and demonstrated in the new RemanLab learning environment for remanufacturing at Fraunhofer IPA in Bayreuth. The RemanLab will open on May 23, 2023. In this realistic learning environment, which features all the necessary test benches, companies will gain an insight into the future of sustainable production. Electric bike motors will be used to impart knowledge about the complexity of the remanufacturing process, from entrance diagnosis to disassembly, cleaning, testing, reconditioning, reassembly and final inspection, with the aid of demonstrators such as an augmented reality application for disassembly.
Find more information at the Fraunhofer website.
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