If you are the owner of a high-end mountain bike or road bike made by the small but dedicated group of independent bicycle manufacturers in the United States, you’ve probably never heard of Autometrix. But many of the companies that hand craft very high-quality bikes – bikes that consistently win world championship competitions – rely on an Autometrix pattern cutting machine. These companies manufacture the bicycles they design right here in the United States so that they can maintain full control over the entire design and manufacturing process. We blogged in December about one such company: Allied Cycle Works.
It’s no surprise that so many of Autometrix’s customers are bicycle manufacturers. First of all, Autometrix is located in Nevada County, which is full of world class mountain biking trails and hosts the second oldest road bike race in the nation. A large number of Autometrix employees take off at lunch to ride trails that are located right next to the Autometrix offices. Is that co-location a coincidence? Nope.
So it’s easy for them to talk to customers like Carl Turner, Composite Design Engineer at ENVE, a bicycle manufacturer that designs and hand builds bicycle wheels and components in Ogden, Utah. ENVE has three Autometrix fabric cutting tables. “I can’t imagine what life would be like without automation,” said Turner. “We can adjust and cut new pieces and new prototypes just as fast as we can think it.” Quick iterations of new prototypes is key to success in the high-end bicycle industry. “If you’re not innovating, you’re going to die,” said Turner. Watch this video below to get an inside look at the design process for an ENVE products (and to see ENVE athletes ripping up some awesome trails).
Whether you manufacture bicycles or sports equipment or any products with composite fibers, look no further for a partner to provide you all your patterning and cutting solutions. Contact us today to speak with an Automation Specialist.