Term Paper on "Manufacturing Process of a Bicycle"

Term Paper 10 pages (2680 words) Sources: 7 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Manufacturing Process of a Bicycle

Manufacturing Process of the Bicycle

In the past few decades, emerging new technologies have threatened the existence of the traditional bicycle. However, even with such threats, the bicycle has survived and has even grown in numbers, sales and use. Many poorer countries whose citizens do not have widespread access to cars or buses utilize the bicycle for travel, work and entertainment. In richer countries such as the United States, the bicycle still maintains its common popularity; there are 85 million bicycle riders in the United States alone. According to statistics released by the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service and U.S. Department of State (2001), bicycle sales of $850 million in 1999 amounted to 1.5% of total retail sales. Recent statistics indicate that consumer spending in the bicycle industry has amounted to over one billion U.S. dollars, and of this amount, approximately 60% (a total of more than $600 million) was spent on 1,445,000 new bicycles, which sold at an average price of $425 (U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service and U.S. Department of State, 2001). The remaining $491 million was spent on second-hand bikes, accessories (15%), maintenance (10%) and purchases of rain and cycling garments (15%).

The use of the bicycle has increased steadily throughout the world. Research indicates that spending in the bicycle industry has increased by 27% since 1995 (U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service and U.S. Department of State, 2001). In 2000, sales of bicycles peaked at an all-time high of 1,517,000 units, or an increase of five percent over 1999. In addition, retail sales continue to grow, and department stores and mail order companies report 10% increases over the past few years. Sales were valued at more than $650 million in 2000; 50% of sales were of city bikes, while 29% of bicycles sold were leisure/hobby bicycles (U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service and U.S. Department of State, 2001). Marketing reports indicate that the average prices for bikes are as follows: City bikes - $484; Tour/Mountain bikes - $645; and Children's bikes - $190. Even with inflation and increasing costs, the bicycle is apparently available to consumers everywhere at a reasonable cost. Thus, the statistics presented above indicate that the bicycle industry appears to be a viable industry despite of the competition presented by technology. This paper will discuss the manufacturing process of the bicycle, taking into account the history of the bicycle and the manner in which this process developed. It will examine the present impact of the manufacturing process and will conclude with a projection of the future usage of the bicycle.

History of the Bicycle

Although there have been historical disagreements as to the exact identity of the first manufactured bicycle, a review of the literature credits Baron von Drais as inventing a walking machine that would help him get around the royal gardens faster in 1817. This first model of the bicycle consisted of two same-size in-line wheels, the front one steerable, mounted in a frame which the rider straddled. The device was propelled by pushing one's feet against the ground, thus rolling oneself and the device forward in a sort of gliding walk (Bicycle Museum, 2007). This bicycle was made of wood and was called a hobby horse. This early model was not long-lasting as a result of its impracticability for transportation in any other place than a well maintained and clear pathway. The next appearance of a two-wheeled riding machine was in 1865, when pedals were applied directly to the front wheel (Bicycle Museum, 2007). This machine was known as the velocipede ("fast foot"), but was popularly known as the bone shaker, since it was also made entirely of wood, then later with metal tires, and the combination of these with the cobblestone roads of the day made for an extremely uncomfortable ride. A photo of this early bicycle is included at the end for reference.

Bicycles manufactured out of metal did not emerge until 1870. In this model, the pedals were still attached directly to the front wheel with no freewheeling mechanism. Solid rubber tires and the long spokes of the large front wheel provided a much smoother ride than its predecessor (Bicycle Museum, 2007). The front wheels became larger and larger as makers realized that the larger the wheel, the farther one could travel with a single pedal rotation. This bicycle was costly, and only the well off members of society could afford the model. In the following years, design improvements were implemented, changing the beginning design of the bicycle. An example of one of these changes was the placement of the small wheel in the front to eliminate the tipping-forward problem. These designs became known as high-wheel safety bicycles. Since the older high-wheel designs had been known simply as bicycles, they were now referred to as "ordinary bicycles" in comparison with the new-fangled designs, and then simply as "ordinaries (Bicycle Museum, 2007)." As the manufacturing process of metal improved, bicycles began implementing smaller and lighter chains and sprockets. This led to the manufacture of bicycles with two of the same-size wheels, and provided for a speed that was the same as the huge high-wheel.

These early bicycles featured hard rubber tires without shock-absorbing spokes. The models that followed had front and/or rear suspensions, and various designs competed with one another. The primary companies that introduced models with two same-size tires included Sears Roebuck, Montgomery Ward, and later, Schwinn. The early models manufactured by these companies featured automobile and motorcycle elements to appeal to children. They were built into the middle '50s, by which time they had taken on design elements of jet aircraft and even rockets (Bicycle Museum, 2007). The Schwinn company is noted as the earliest company to implement a cost-efficient manufacturing process of these early bicycles.

Early Manufacturing Process of the Bicycle

In its early models, Schwinn manufactured bicycles through means of fillet-brazing and welding joints by hand, then grinding and polishing them until the frame appeared as though it was carved from a block of steel. Called the E/F frame, these models sought to imitate a handbuilt, fillet-brazed frame while dramatically reducing manufacturing costs. To achieve this look Schwinn engineers actually moved the "joints" from their typical locations at the ends of the mitered tubes to a circumferential butt joint around the tube about 1 1/2" from the typical joint locations: the "head tube" actually extends out to the joint on the top tube and down tube (Muller, 2007). To produce a typical E/F frame joint, the ends of two tubular frame components were held nearly together and clamped in copper jaws, which acted as anodes and cathodes (Muller, 2007). The edges of the adjacent parts served as electrodes and filler material, and the edges had to be closely aligned to assure a strong joint and to avoid undercutting when they were polished afterward. Next, a high electric current was applied across the two parts, jumping the small gap between them. The relatively thin edges of the tubes became molten and the two parts were pushed together by hydraulic rams.

In the early manufacturing process, the actual welding took only a few seconds compared to several minutes to weld or braze each conventional joint. In this manner the Schwinn company was able to manufacture bicycles at decreasing prices. Schwinn also used coil strips of steel to produce its own tubing. The strips were fed through a series of rollers which shaped and sized them and prepared them for the final rollers, which passed an electric current to the edges (Muller, 2007). This was a continuous process, so immediately after welding, the bulk tubing was cut to the appropriate lengths (Muller, 2007). After all these processes, the head tube, other tubes and rear end subassemblies were ready to be joined into an E/F frame. The processes just described produced the building blocks and potential cost savings for the frames, but just as important to the ultimate success was the sequence of joints produced (Muller, 2007). Joining the top or down tubes to the head tube was the most dramatic operation; these tubes were clamped nearly together in copper jaws, and once the electric arc was struck the down tube was pushed into the head tube. The seat mast and bottom bracket were likewise joined and cleaned up on a lathe, and the parts were aligned. A review of the research indicates that many of the processes involved in the early manufacture of the bicycle were very fast, requiring the stroke of a punch press or a rapid electric jolt.

Early Placement in the Market & Present Impact of the Manufacturing Process

These early bicycle models were placed into the market as early as the 1900's. In the late sixties Schwinn invested heavily in the E/F machinery, and during the bike boom years Schwinn was building more than a million E/F frames and bicycles every year. At the same time, though, Schwinn revived one of their old trade names and began to import the… READ MORE

How to Reference "Manufacturing Process of a Bicycle" Term Paper in a Bibliography

Related Term Papers:

International Technology Management Research Proposal

International Technology Management

Oasis Bicycles Case Analysis

Oasis Bicycles is faced with the dilemma of many globally-based manufacturers, which is how to scale across multiple manufacturing locations located in regions… read more

Research Proposal 8 pages (3168 words) Sources: 8 Style: Harvard Topic: Business / Corporations / E-commerce

---

Oasis Bicycles Case Study

Oasis Bicycles Case Study

Oasis Bicycles Human Resources Plan

The company is currently in a development and international expansion process. Given the circumstances and the rapid changes that emerge from… read more

Case Study 12 pages (3412 words) Sources: 10 Style: Harvard Topic: Management / Organizations

---

Production Management Discrete Manufacturing vs. Process Term Paper

Production Management

Discrete Manufacturing vs. Process Manufacturing

Piasecki (2003) defines discrete manufacturing as the manufacturing of distinct items such as pencils, light bulbs, telephones, and bicycles. Piasecki (2003) defines process… read more

Term Paper 2 pages (671 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Business / Corporations / E-commerce

---

Just in Time JIT and Lean Manufacturing Term Paper

Just-in-Time (JIT) and Lean Manufacturing

Just-in-Time is a strategy put to practice in accounting principles, which induces increases in investment returns of an industry by decreasing work-in-progress stock and all… read more

Term Paper 12 pages (3153 words) Sources: 5 Style: APA Topic: Management / Organizations

---

Framework of Collaborative Design for Build to Order Supply Chain Term Paper

Collaborative Design for a Build-to-Order Supply Chain

Globalization

The Big Picture

In an effort to meet customer, stakeholder and shareholder expectations, many organizations have had to adopt unique supply chain… read more

Term Paper 26 pages (7001 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Business / Corporations / E-commerce

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>