Reynolds Technology

Saturday 7th April 2018

Reynolds Technology Ltd Award Nomination – Made in the Midlands 2018

Specialist tubing manufacturers Reynolds Technology Ltd have received an award nomination, having been named finalists in the ‘Digital Engineering/Technology’ category for the Made in the Midlands Awards 2018. Their nomination in the regional competition is for their innovative approach to research and development, especially for their work on a recent collaborative project looking to apply cutting-edge 3D printing techniques to new applications within the bicycle industry.

Regional Roots

The company has been operating out of their base in Birmingham since their founding days. A.M Reynolds and J.T Hewitt filed a patent for the tube butting process back in 1898. This method of thinning tube walls in the centre – while keeping them thicker at the ends – makes for lightweight tubing which is strong at the joints. This makes it ideal for use in high-performance applications across a wide range of fields, but it has had the most notable impact in the bicycle industry. The company prioritise innovation, and continually look to apply new materials and processes to a variety of specialist engineering applications. This has included introducing the first heat-treated steel, Reynolds 753, to the cycling industry in 1976. They also introduced their flagship tubing, Reynolds 953, to the industry in 2007, which currently offers the highest tensile strength available in the industry (1750-2050 MPa). Their cold-worked stainless steel 921 offers the highest tensile strength for a cold-worked set in the industry.

3D Print Project Collaboration

However, most recently, Reynolds Technology has been investigating the use of 3D printing technologies and looking to use the cutting-edge process for applications within the cycling industry. Reynolds’ 3D printed titanium dropouts have been commercially available for over a year and work is currently underway to introduce a steel version to the market. Over the past few months Reynolds has also been working collaboratively to develop a bottom bracket (BB) shell design which uses the advantages 3D printing can offer, such as complex internal structure and customisable design. This design was launched in early 2018 at the North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show and has attracted international interest from other businesses and industry professionals. As 3D printing comes into fashion for the bicycle industry, Reynolds seeks to remain at the forefront of the trend, establishing themselves as leaders with regards to its use in the sector, and welcomes this award nomination for their work on this exciting new venture.

Keith Noronha, Managing Director at Reynolds Technology, said: “Our team think 3D printing metallic parts will complement our tubular products well, and although there are risks being an early adopter, Reynolds have already gained useful knowledge whilst developing our initial applications”.

For the original press release announcing Reynolds Technology Ltd’s award nomination, click here

To take a look at the press release regarding Reynolds’ 3D print project collaboration, click here

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