In the article
MYBIKE readers still remember the "Waldwiesel" test in the 2/2023 issue - This is also because the e-bike lacks the seat tube, a hallmark of Urwahn. Below the seat post, the frame makes a bend and merges into the rear stays. Among other things, tester Uli Frieß certified that the Waldwiesel was "very comfortable to ride". That should be the effect of the construction. We had a visit to the company headquarters in Magdeburg to find out how it is made.
Behind this is the idea of an absolutely organic-looking bike that is very comfortable without suspension elements that are prone to wear and tear. Sebastian Meinecke had this idea. He is one of two CEOs and founded Urwahn ten years ago. He worked on a design solution for the unusual shape of the bike until 2017. It became clear to him that the bend could only be realised in the desired quality with additive manufacturing, i.e. 3D printing. Everything else is too expensive or doesn't work. "We are currently the only ones to produce a bicycle frame in this way," explains Ramon Thomas, the second CEO, not without pride.
Laser-based steel forging
We are standing in an almost deserted hall at Oerlikon, a specialist in additive manufacturing in Magdeburg. The company has been the bike forge's production partner since 2017 - back then under the name Citim. Just a few years ago, the ambience here - lorry-sized, white cubes with monitors and windows into the interior - would have been classed as "science fiction". Christoph Schmidt from Oerlikon was there at the beginning of the partnership with Urwahn and explains how the "printing" process works. The first glance into the viewing windows of the machines shows above all a laser beam whizzing around at breakneck speed. If you look closely, you will recognise more: in one machine, for example, eight saddle tube connectors, the upper ends of the characteristic Urwahn tube, are being produced. You can just make out their cross-sections - nothing more, because they are almost completely covered by a grey surface.
"This is the powder bed in which the parts are placed," explains Schmidt. The monitor on the device shows this more clearly. "With each pass, the laser adds 500 nanometres per second. This is how the parts 'grow'. And as soon as a new nanometre layer has been added to all the parts in the 200-degree machine, they sink further into the metal powder.
This gives them the metal layer for the next "growth layer", which the laser then attaches. SLM, Selected Laser Melting, is the name of the process that is at work here with 370 to 1000 watts of power. All tube connections within the frame and, of course, the characteristic "knee" of the frame itself are printed. Despite the speed of the laser, this is not a quick process: it takes a good day to build a set.
Only the specials are printed
"The development of a component is not detached from the technical realisation," explains engineer Schmidt. You don't produce a mould using additive manufacturing that you can easily build using traditional frame construction methods. As a result, the development of a new bike model also involves a lively ping-pong game between design and correction, i.e. between Urwahn developer Meinecke and "printer" Schmidt. After printing, there is a lot of reworking; in particular, the support structures required for printing have to be removed. This is followed by finishing work on the contours and surfaces, for example with a belt sander, and mechanical finishing of the surface in a ceramic bath. A lot of manual work that takes hours. Only then is the component as smooth and well-formed as it feels when you stroke a Urwahn frame.
The component passes through various quality assurance stages - from manual inspection under a magnifying glass to digital scanning of the parts and comparison with the specifications through to sensitive machine measurement. The finished parts are then sent to the frame construction department. It is located in the Harz Mountains, in the wider neighbourhood. The CroMo steel frame tubes are manufactured near Hanover. Coating partners are located in Dresden and Gifhorn. "There are only short distances at Urwahn," says Thomas. "That's important to us. Of course, as a premium brand, we want to write "Made in Germany" on our lapel. But it's also about environmental considerations and short supply chains. Less dependence on Asia and lean production is the motto."
A customised bike in 30 days
Sebastian Meinecke and his team also develop components themselves and have them built by local partners. Seat clamps, dropouts and eccentrics made by Urwahn are already available, while mudguards and luggage rack systems will probably be built by Urwahn with partners in the future. Rapid response is also important: "A bike takes 30 to 45 days from order to delivery. Even with individual equipment: five Urwahn-own and 213 RAL colours are available on request. Customers can even add their own logos. The in-house graphic designer develops the customer's idea further and it is later realised one-to-one on the bike. When it comes to quality and safety, 3D printing is no exception: every new model is tested to the 4210 standard at the renowned EFBE testing institute in Waltrop.
High-tech in a venerable old building
Not far from the centre of Magdeburg, the Urwahn headquarters are located on the first floor of a Wilhelminian-style building. The start-up, which is gradually developing into an established company, has twelve permanent employees," says business economist Thomas with a smile. Development, marketing, sales, planning - the entire back office is on the 100 square metre office floor, plus a showroom where customers can get advice on site. Everything has an appealing, but down-to-earth and not over-the-top design. The eccentricity of the product is not reflected here, rather the rooms are discreetly designed. The atmosphere is relaxed and the work is focussed.
Production is located in the building next door. Including the warehouse, Urwahn has 250 square metres of floor space available here. The Urwahn bikes are assembled on nine assembly stands, from where the fine bikes make their way to dealers or customers. Magdeburg currently offers the "Platzhirsch" and the "Stadtfuchs", both urban bikes with or without "E", and the "Waldwiesel" gravel bike in the same variations. The "Stadtfalke" has just been added: a racing bike with fine carbon components. This is also available with or without the support of a Mahle X35 motor in the rear wheel and a 250 watt-hour battery in the down tube. As a purely organic bike, the steel bike is not ultra-lightweight, "but it is lighter than the average steel racer," explains Thomas. The bikes are not lightweights in terms of price either: the entry-level price into the world of Urwahn is 4250, with "E" at 4950 euros.
"Design-savvy customers"
Who buys Urwahn bikes? Mainly urban people, commuters, many everyday riders. "We have particularly design-savvy customers. Technology freaks, form fans and modern performers who love innovation," explains the business economist in the language of his clientele. "Mostly men, 30 to 55 years old." But Urwahn also wants to appeal to the female target group, for example with the low weight of the bikes. The "Platzhirsch.E" weighs just 14.5 kilograms. "Of course, things such as the elegant cable routing, the toothed belt drive and generally the cool look also play a part," Thomas adds.
And finally, sustainability is also playing an increasingly important role in purchasing decisions. "That's another reason why customers come to us. Made in Germany, low CO2 footprint in production - also thanks to short distances and sustainable materials." Small fleet customers who have found an effective but also eye-catching image donor in Urwahn bikes also think so. Special editions, for example with fashion labels as partners, also attract attention. Two thirds of the bikes are e-bikes. The dealer community is still manageable with 40 German shops, but you can also order online. To become big? "Perhaps. But one thing is clear: we will always remain a manufacturer," emphasises Managing Director Ramon Thomas.
Urwahn Engineering GmbH in figures
- Foundation: 2017
- Company headquarters: Magdeburg
- Employees: 12
- Area: 250 square metres
Home visits - MYBIKE reports
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