Exclusive Interview: The Innovator of Titanium Cycling

The CEO of HI-LIGHT TiBicycle shares insights on successfully scaling the mass production of titanium bicycle parts using the HBD 400 six-laser metal 3D printer. By harnessing cutting-edge additive manufacturing, HI-LIGHT is revolutionizing the production process, enabling greater flexibility, reduced production time, and enhanced product quality.
🔧 A game-changer for the industry—find out how advanced 3D printing is reshaping the future of cycling!
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In 1992, China unveiled its first titanium bicycle, marking a significant milestone in cycling history. Thirty years later, HI-LIGHT TiBicycle has grown into a global leader in the titanium sports equipment market, continuously innovating and expanding its reach. At the forefront of this transformation is the integration of aerospace technology, which has driven a lightweight revolution in titanium cycling.
One of the most disruptive changes in recent years has been the introduction of 3D printing in titanium processing. Traditionally, manufacturing a titanium bicycle part involved multiple steps: blanking, turning, milling, polishing, and finishing. Casting also required the creation of molds, along with casting, cooling, and demolding processes. With 3D printing, all these steps are eliminated, enabling us to create a finished part in a single process, which greatly enhances efficiency.
Our Core Values: Three Pillars of Innovation
1. Optimized Design
3D printing offers unparalleled design flexibility, allowing us to push the boundaries of innovation. Traditional manufacturing methods often come with design constraints, but with additive manufacturing, these limitations are significantly relaxed. Leveraging advanced design software, including topology design and finite element analysis, we can create products that are not only lightweight but also streamlined for reduced wind resistance. Through calculated strength distribution, we minimize weight while maintaining exceptional durability, resulting in highly optimized designs.
2. Enhanced Production Flexibility
Our titanium alloy bicycles are premium products characterized by high variety and low production volumes. Serving over 100 customers worldwide, this variety is ever-growing. With titanium alloy 3D printing, we can produce a wide range of parts simultaneously for multiple customers, ensuring flexibility and responsiveness to specific needs. Moreover, 3D printing enables us to integrate parts into the production line seamlessly, allowing us to address urgent customer demands efficiently. This leads to enhanced production efficiency and superior customer service.
3. Replacing Traditional Precision Casting
For many years, precision casting was a cornerstone of our production process. However, this method comes with significant challenges: high mold costs and long production cycles. 3D printing resolves these issues by eliminating the need for molds and enabling us to complete the final part in just one step. It has also allowed us to replace precision casting for most parts, resulting in substantial cost savings and faster turnaround times.
Solving Complex Manufacturing Challenges
Despite advancements in casting technology, certain complex parts remained difficult to produce—until now. 3D printing has revolutionized how we approach these challenges. Whether it’s creating intricate designs or streamlining production, additive manufacturing allows us to design and mold in one go, overcoming the limitations of traditional methods.
The introduction of HBD’s six-laser titanium 3D printing equipment has further boosted our manufacturing capabilities. Through in-depth research and process optimization, we have significantly improved efficiency and enhanced the overall quality of our products.
The Future of Titanium Cycling
Looking ahead, I firmly believe that titanium 3D printing will continue to drive technological innovation in the cycling industry. It’s a game-changer for both product performance and manufacturing efficiency, and we’re just getting started. By adopting cutting-edge technology, HI-LIGHT TiBicycle is poised to redefine what’s possible in the world of cycling.


Metal 3D printers are used in advanced manufacturing for numerous reasons by various industries such as rapid prototyping, dental, medical device, orthopaedics, mold & die, automotive, aerospace, oil & gas, electronics, etc.

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