Development of a bicycle crank arm demonstrator via Industry 4.0 principles for sustainable and cost-effective manufacturing

The development and validation of an original aluminum bicycle crank arm design is presented with an emphasis on design for manufacturing and cost-efficiency via Industry 4.0 principles. The facets of Industry 4.0 that were utilized in this work include the development of a predictive technical cost model, real-time data acquisition from the processing equipment, as well as intentional design for manufacturability. Two crank arm designs were manufactured and tested in a custom mechanical testing jig. The adjustable apparatus was used to test the crank arms in multiple loading cases realistic to those experienced during a typical service life, in addition to testing the load case defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Metrology was then conducted of all crank arms to assess the part deformation after mechanical testing. A predictive technical cost model was also developed of the entire design and manufacturing process that allows for factors such as cycle time, energy consumption, and production efficiency to be utilized to maximize sustainability in the manufacturing process. The crank arms presented met the ISO specifications for crank arm safety, and showed comparable performance to a commercial aluminum crank arm. This successful product development cycle can be utilized in future research to adopt different material systems into the process for increased sustainability or performance or both, as well as to serve as a demonstrator of the implementation of next-generation manufacturing principles.