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Argon 18

Development of the Gallium Pro 2014 bicycle frame
Argon 18 designs ultra-high-end bikes. The diversity of their concept offers solutions to many types of cyclists. Leader in their field, Argon 18 wanted to improve their bikes’ performance. Lx Sim mandate was to provide an engineering support on the development of the Gallium Pro 2014 carbon fiber bike frame to deliver a product as light as possible while meeting the customer requirements on the manufacturing and stiffness level.

METHODOLOGY

To do this, optimization techniques were used. As a first step, a conceptual approach helped determined the required inertia of each section to meet the different requirements for stiffness. An initial 3D model was then developed by the customer, which was analysed and compared to the previous version of frame geometry. Different variations and geometries were tested in order to achieve a shape having the desired characteristics in terms of weight and stiffness, compared with the previous frame version. Subsequently, an optimization of the composite structure was performed to determine the optimal lay-up to meets the customer needs. This optimization phase yielded the different carbon pre-preg layers shape, quantity and sequence, which were communicated to the manufacturer in order to guide them in achieving the lightest lay–up as possible.

Results

RESULTS

The different optimization methods used by Lx Sim during the design phase of the Gallium Pro have helped the client to develop a super-lightweight composites bicycle frame. The mass achieved for the new frame is around 790g, compared to a weight of about 965g for the previous frame, representing an 18% decrease.

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