KBR Product Design

IIDEA Ltd has an outstanding relationship with companies requiring prototype components manufacturing. We also provide advice and consultancy work for prototype designs which are submitted to us that have genuine flaws, or where there is simply a better way or better material for manufacture of the product or component.

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One such prototype component was for a new design of a mountain bike component. The new component, known as a head stem, connects the handlebars to the front forks and is known as the Stem-I.

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The original design specified 2014-T6 Aluminium. Through our designers' knowledge of materials and material properties we were able to suggest 6082-T6 Aluminium would give the prototype component better mechanical properties whilst retaining the same low density and easy machining characteristics. Aluminium 6082-T6 is also easier to source, thereby reducing the lead-time and cost for the customer.

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Having been given design guidelines by the customer as well as a brief on how the finished component needed to function, the prototype was manufactured using our CNC Lathes and Milling Machines. The final components were hard anodised to achieve the finish shown. IIDEA Ltd manufactured two prototype components which were returned to the customer for “field testing”.