The Future of Engineering Production: Electric Power and Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

With the state of the world and direction of power-trains it seems that the two elements of additive manufacturing and electric power will be not only crucial, but the foundation of our future. Humans are always looking for ways to advance and become more efficient. That pursuit of advancement has put us in a tough predicament with the environment however. So, for this project, I will be 3D printing an electric bike to show the benefits and possibilities of 3D printing and electric power-trains. Combining these two concepts allows for the advancement of the technology that we love so much, while also helping to preserve our home. This project requires design with manufacturing in mind, wiring, and hands on manufacturing. I will have to think of the best ways to 3D print the parts that I need and how to design them so that they will perform and be able to be printed correctly. The biggest challenge will be the size of the parts needed to be produced. With on campus printing capabilities, the components will need to be sized to fit a 6.5 x 6.5 x 11 tray to be printed on. Preferably, I would design a whole bike that would accommodate the parts necessary, but this will be impossible with the machinery available. Therefore, the bike will have to be assembled in pieces. In a real world application, printing one solid bike would both be more effective cost and time wise, as well as performance wise. Budget is also a challenge but with a budget that I will lay out later, I will be able to complete the goal of this project.