What is the cost of a carbon mtb frame?
- Thread starter schred
- Start date
mik_git
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Just going from memory of stuff I've read over the years (so no actual facts and could be completely way off on $$$). Something like $100K per mold... and thats 1 for the front top tringle, 1 for bottom and 1 for rear. (just assuming a simple design for FS) or course could be less if just using tubes, but then you have lugs, junctions etc which could be molds as well (but yu'd think cheaper?). Then how many sizes, S,M,L or XS, XL, so at least all the times 3.
Then you have to pay someone(s) to make it, not exactly skilled labour, but so long as they arn't a dunce they should be able to get the layup right.
The equipment to set it all (autoclave or whatever).
Then you have to pay soemone to make sure it's all aligned, and do all the finishing, then painting.
You also have to pay for th raw materials
You also have to pay for someone to design it, either you are paying for a pre-existing design or you are paying an engineer to design it. So then you need prototyping, FEA and the design of the layup so that it's not to flexy or just falls apart.
I'd be thinking $2 mill to set it all up for a production run and run 2 years. Way less if you just get a pre molded frame out of China.
But that's just a guess.
Then you have to pay someone(s) to make it, not exactly skilled labour, but so long as they arn't a dunce they should be able to get the layup right.
The equipment to set it all (autoclave or whatever).
Then you have to pay soemone to make sure it's all aligned, and do all the finishing, then painting.
You also have to pay for th raw materials
You also have to pay for someone to design it, either you are paying for a pre-existing design or you are paying an engineer to design it. So then you need prototyping, FEA and the design of the layup so that it's not to flexy or just falls apart.
I'd be thinking $2 mill to set it all up for a production run and run 2 years. Way less if you just get a pre molded frame out of China.
But that's just a guess.