#!markdown
On the one hand you're completely correct re. technology becoming cheaper.
On the other hand, the jet-fighter manufacturing (laser forming Ti dust) that
Robot is using is at least some % "because we can" (I'll let you decide what
%).
But, it is totally imagineable that - in the same way there are many grades of
carbon frame but they look the same on the outside - that a company could
start making a similar product using fluid-formed or soon 3d printed Ti lugs
and much cheaper "bicycle grade" carbon tubes.
I have a hard time imagining it for straight up Ti frames. It would be easier
(heat/space) to weld tubes where the Robot carbon-meets-Ti but the cosmetics,
ride quality, and stresses might be weird?
A huge part of the cost of a Ti frame is labour (hard to work, hard to cut,
hard to weld) so printing and forming have the potential to drive down the
labour cost. But the raw material has been going up year after year for the
same quality (part of the reason, for example, that Ti mtb shock springs
weight so much more and are so much less accurate than they used to be).
Definitely interesting to see where, if anywhere, this tech goes.
June 15, 2016, 7:59 a.m. - DrewM
#!markdown On the one hand you're completely correct re. technology becoming cheaper. On the other hand, the jet-fighter manufacturing (laser forming Ti dust) that Robot is using is at least some % "because we can" (I'll let you decide what %). But, it is totally imagineable that - in the same way there are many grades of carbon frame but they look the same on the outside - that a company could start making a similar product using fluid-formed or soon 3d printed Ti lugs and much cheaper "bicycle grade" carbon tubes. I have a hard time imagining it for straight up Ti frames. It would be easier (heat/space) to weld tubes where the Robot carbon-meets-Ti but the cosmetics, ride quality, and stresses might be weird? A huge part of the cost of a Ti frame is labour (hard to work, hard to cut, hard to weld) so printing and forming have the potential to drive down the labour cost. But the raw material has been going up year after year for the same quality (part of the reason, for example, that Ti mtb shock springs weight so much more and are so much less accurate than they used to be). Definitely interesting to see where, if anywhere, this tech goes.