Manufacturing processes for bicycle frame and golf club

Almost either item we white plague in our everyday life has been manufactured in some way apply a series of different techniques. The chore set break through in this assignment is to vista at twain everyday objects and discuss the ways in which they expect been manufactured and what satisfyings cede been use and why these specific manufacturing techniques and real(a)s nominate been utilize. We to a fault have to look at other come-at-able techniques and materials that could have been utilized instead and what make this would have had on the final p terminaluct.The both objects that I have immovable to investigate be the rack write and the golf orderliness. I have chosen to investigate these deuce items payable to their similarity in materials and manufacturing biddinges just now also their diversity as I will demonstrate in the rest of the report. First I will look at the wheel around tramp thus the golf club and wherefore closinging with a short con clusion and comparison of the two different objects.2. BICYLE FRAMEThe conception of the bicycle was first cin one caseived in the late 18th century in France where an inventor created a woody hobby horse cognise as a Celerifere, which had two wheels connected with a beam 1. From this idea thither have been numerous alterations and improvements to every aspect of the design that have lead to the invention of the modern bicycle. These include the materials employ (wood alloys coordination compounds), the structural design and the techniques apply to manufacture the frame. The design of the modern frame give the axe be seen in figure 1, with the names of the metros labelled on the picture. designing 1 diagram of modern bicycle frame with all sort outs named 22.1 MaterialsModern bicycle frames displace be make from a variety of different materials dep ceaseing on its application. Standard bicycle frames atomic number 18 commonly do from some var. of coat alloy muc h(prenominal) as brand, titanium or aluminum. poise and titanium alloy frames atomic number 18 generally more popular over receivable to their increased lastingness over aluminium with child(p) them a long life. Aluminium alloy is an ideal material in applications where pitch moldiness be cut down and the loads located on the frame ar not excessive. The particular com directs of metals within the alloy are constantly being altered to improve incubus, rigidity and strength. The strength of the material is peculiarly important in applications such as mountain biking and downhill step on it where the frame comes under considerable loads. The structure of the frame also plays a large part in the loads it crapper take due to the front and rear triangles that distribute the load byout the entire frame.In the last two decades the use of multiform materials has become more popular, peculiarly in racing bikes due to their increased strength and low weight. These frames are most commonsly make with some form of structural fictional character such as carbon copy or glass. Due to the increased strength along the axis of the quality, single piece frames can be produced giving increased strength in the areas that require it.2.2 Manufacturing ProcessLooking originally at metal alloy frames, there are two principal(prenominal) types of tube-shaped structure that can be produced. These are seamless tubes, which are skeletal through with(predicate) several stages from a block of metal and the others are known as seamed tubes, which are do from sheet metal turn into tubes and welded along the length of the tube. Seamless tubes are generally seen as the offend alternative due to the fact that they do not have a seam running along their length, which could be a possible evince concentration area.The address for making seamless tubes is as follows First the metal alloy to be used is annealed to soften it and then hollowed. erst it has been holl owed it is het once again and then pickled in acid to remove both oxidization layers and then lubricated to prevent some(prenominal) oxidation after the pickling stage. Secondly the hollow is cut to the rightfield dimensions and mitered, a surgical procedure of shaping the ends of the hollows to fit the contours of the tube to which it is to be attached to. This process is make simply by sawing off the necessary shape of the fit and then filing it down to a smooth finish. Next the tubes go through a cold drawing process to get them to the right eager by creating a thinner and longer tube.The tube can also be butted, a process that increases the thickness of the tube at the ends due to the increased stresses located at these points and making the tube thinner nuzzle the centre as the stresses are littler at this location. This process decreases the weight and increases the strength of the frame. The final stage in making the tubes is shaping and tapering off them depending on which area of the bike they are to be used in. at one time the tubes have all been make, they are joined unneurotic to form the frame using either some form of join if the tubes are made from metal or joined using an pasty if they are made from composite. The most coming joining order for metal frames is, by further, brazing weld. This process involves placing the tubes unneurotic and heating the joints up to create a white flux, stripup position and melting the joint. Next the brazing filler metal is added, usually brass, which melts below the temperature of the joints and flows round them creating an even seal (figure 2).This process is usually through with(p) by a machine but some specialist bike makers will slake do this manually. This method of weld is preferred to others, such as MIG and TIG welding, as it can be completed at much lower temperatures and so not adversely affect the properties of the material as it may variety its structure at high gear temperatu res (i.e. steel). In some frame constructions welding is not required at all and rather a squeeze (figure 3) is used to fix the two frames together. This allows for easy bike maintenance and tube replacement with little effect on the rest of the frame, unlike its welded counterpart.For composite frames, rather than welding the frame together, which would be ineffective, the joints are glued together using a strong adhesive. The adhesives used are capable of sustaining the selfsame(prenominal) force as effectively, if not better, than welded joints.Figure 2 Example of solder Figure 3 Aluminium lug connecting top tube andwelding on an L-section 3 seat tube 4While the joints are still eager enough, the frame is placed into a jig to ensure that all tubes are aligned properly and if not they are oriented to the right position before the metal cools. The frame is then pickled to remove any excess flux and brazing filler and then grinded for a smooth finish Small alignment changes ca n still be made once the frame has cooled.Finally the frames are taking to be painted to sustain protect them from oxidation. First the lubricant used to protect them after pickling is cleaned off and then an undercoat is painted onto the frames. After which, a coloured adorn is painted on either by hand or by passing the frame through an electrostatic painting room where the positively charged paint is attracted to the rotating negatively charged frame. Once the frame is end it is ready for the rest of the bikes components to be added.3. GOLF CLUBThe origins of golf are unclear as many countries had some form of game involving striking on object with a stick dating as far back as the Roman Empire. Golf as we know it right away was popularised in Scotland in the 15th Century where players would use completely wooden clubs to hit a stuffed leather ball. It wasnt until the introduction of the modern hard no-good golf ball in 1848 5 that the materials used in the club design were altered. First iron was introduced as a material for club power points, used to strike the ball. woody heads were still used for certain shot types. Wooden have a go at its were still used despite the head material until the early twentieth century when the first steel gigs were introduced. In the following years specialized clubs were developed (i.e. sand wedge) and in 1970s the first composite gumshoes made from high strength materials were introduced but did not gain popularity straight away due to their apparent decrease in stiffness resulting in flexing. Developments into composite shafts have made them a popular alternative to steel shafts due to their lighter weight and strength.Figure 4 Variety of different club heads 73.1 MaterialsThe materials used to manufacture a golf club vary widely depending on the part that is being made such as the grip, shaft and head. The grips can be made of either a wandered synthetic rubber or bound leather, materials with a high coeff icient of friction preventing slip. The shaft material can somemultiplication depend on the application of the club (driver, putter etc.) and are generally made from a guiltless steel, titanium or aluminium for metal frames and a carbon/boron fibre reinforced epoxy.The material used for the golf heads can depend a lot on the type of club that it is. For wood type clubs the most popular materials to use are similar to those used for the shafts stainless steel, titanium and carbon fibre epoxy. Oversized wood heads are often filled with synthetic bubble so that the weight is similar to a smaller headed club. It is still possible to purchase wooden heads for the club but these are generally more for aesthetic and traditional purposes than for performance. Irons and wedges generally have heads made from stainless steel, titanium, tungsten, beryllium nickel/copper or a combination of these materials. Putters can be made from a lighter, weaker material such as aluminium due to the low im pact forces that they sustain as they travel at slower velocities.3.2 Manufacturing ProcessAs mentioned previously there are lead components to the golf club, the grip, shaft and head. Each can be made using a variety of techniques that depend on the material being used and the preference of the manufacturer. The synthetic rubber grips are made by placing the end of the shaft into a hollow disclose, the required shape of the grip, and injecting the rubber into the hollow. The sit is then left hand to harden and the shaft is removed from the mould.Depending on the material the shafts can be created in numerous ways. If the shafts are made from steel or stainless steel then they will be made by a process known as tube drawing. there are several different methods for this process such as rod drawing, fixed mandrel drawing and tube sinking. As these methods are close related I will only look at the point where the shafts are made via tube sinking. This process involves pulling the tube part way through a die that has a slightly smaller inner diameter than the tube, causing the tube to neck down in diameter.This is down several times with smaller lengths of the tube. This process helps to reduce the weight of the shaft and increase its strength in the areas of greatest stress (i.e. the shaft/head connection). If the tube is made from a carbon fibre composite a different process can be used. The most common is known as pultrusion where the carbon fibres are fed through a heated die with epoxy resin being fed through at the same time (figure 5). The resin hardens under the heat and forms the shaft. The composite shaft does not need to be necked during its manufacture.The metal club heads are made by a process called investment casting. A die, often made of rubber or metal, is made in two separate halves and has a hollow in the shape of the part to be moulded to allow easy removal once the mould has hardened. Wax is injected into the mould and left to harden. Th e mould is removed and the process is repeated several times until a collection of moulds have been produced. These moulds are then placed on the stem of a tree known as a sprue.The sprue is then invested with liquid slurry and coated in a ceramic powder and left to dry. This process is repeated until the coat is roughly 5-10mm thick. The investment is then placed in a furnace at about 550 1100 oC to melt the wax, which is allowed to flow out of an opening in the bottom of the cast. The cast is then fired and preheated and then inverted to allow the molten metal to be poured into the opening of the cast. Once the metal has cooled and hardened the ceramic shell is broken apart and the heads are removed from the tree. The heads are then faultless with a heat handling to harden the surface of the material and then grinded and polished for a clean surface finish. other possible method of creating the heads is to heat up a stock piece of metal and forge it in a die to produce the part needed (figure 6). The advantage to this method is an increase in strength as the grains follow the flow of the component rather than being broken up due to casting and machining. The disadvantages of this method can be a poor surface finish and the component will usually have to go through several finishing stages to get the finished piece.Figure 5 Composite shaft being made Figure 6 Club head made through thethrough the process of pultrusion 6 process of forging 6Once all the parts have been made the shaft needs to be connected to the head. This can be done by a variety of methods such as creating a palm on the end of the shaft and a thread socket in a short tubular protrusion on the head and screwing them together. Another method is to place the shaft into the head socket and drill a mess through both tubes and inserting a metal pin, set with an epoxy resin. If the shaft is made from a carbon fibre composite it is connected to the head using an adhesive, with the advancements in adhesive technologies it is now possible to use an adhesive to bond metal shafts to the heads. The final stage is to check the surface for any blemishes, removing them, and then giving the surface a final polish.4. CONCLUSIONThe two most similar components of the two items are the tubes of the bike frame and the shaft of the golf club. Both these components are made from the same general materials such as steel, titanium, aluminium and carbon fibre composite but utilize different methods in their construction. While the bike frame tubes are made from hollowing out lengths of metal and then cold drawing them to achieve the right gauge, golf club shafts are made directly from another method of tube drawing known as tube sinking where the tube is drawing through a die with decreasing diameter, creating a necked tube. Although these methods could be interchanged with each other they usually stick with their own methods as they give the best properties to the components.A similarity in connecting the parts together in both examples was found with the use of an adhesive to bond the carbon fibre tubes of the bike frame and even the metal shaft of the golf club with the head. Although this method could also be implemented with the metal bike frame the common method of joining is still blaze welding as its seen as the most economic method to use.