| April 1, 2018
BMW Motorrad has just released a 3D printing program for motorcycles set to revolutionize the spare parts industry.
Beginning with 250 selected dealers worldwide, BMW will be installing new 3D workshop printers. This will allow them to manufacturer small parts on site from plastic to aluminum, steel, and titanium. The printer will, therefore, be able to manufacturer parts no longer stocked by BMW Motorrad on the spot.
Printing parts straight from your bike was pure science fiction, until now. The printer sits perfectly in a specially made top case and even comes with its own power supply.
You Can Now 3D Print BMW Spare Parts From Your Bike
But the really exciting news for riders is the announcement of the BMW Motorrad iParts 3D Mobile Printer. This is a new device that allows you to print parts from home or even when out on the bike.
Using the BMW iCloud and subsequent app, you’ll be able to print spare parts anywhere in the world where you have an internet connection. And if a connection is lacking—like in the Brazilian Amazon or the African Sahara—riders will have access to the BMW Motorrad iParts Explorer, which enables a selection of potentially required spare parts data to be saved directly on the smartphone before setting off on the journey.
The printer sits in a specially developed top case that’s a claimed nine pounds lighter than a standard item. It also has its own power supply, a high-performance saline battery that’s integrated into the design.
Do It From Home or on Safari
“3D printing was established for parts development approximately 20 years ago in the form of so-called Rapid Prototyping,” said a release from BMW Motorrad. “Even then, it was possible to create spare parts from plastic using laser technology and a CNC-controlled layering method. This technique has since advanced considerably and it is now possible to produce spare parts made of various metal alloys using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS).
“In addition to creating parts from metals such as aluminum, steel, and titanium, the BMW Motorrad iParts 3D printers also allow fast production of plastic parts. This means that a turn signal lens that is broken during a fall, for instance, can quickly be replaced with a print-out version. It is even possible to replace a cracked rear mirror using the BMW iParts 3D printers.”
The mobile printer system was recently tested in extreme conditions like Outback Australia and the South Pole. There, four riders on BMW R 1200 GS’s equipped with printers, followed in the footsteps of Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen. To top the expedition off, a BMW Motorrad shelter was erected on the South Pole with poles manufactured on site with the mobile printer.
The program of both for dealer and personal printers is scheduled for a September 2018 launch.
To quote Robert F Kennedy and others, “may you live in interesting times”. Lirpa Sloof
