Case Study - RH² Build Latest Gym Bike For Extertris

RH², the concept-to-production specialists, have now completed a contract to produce the silicon tools, resin tools and pre-production parts for a new generation of gym bikes developed by the product innovation consultancy, Exertris.

Working from CAD data supplied by the design consultants, PDD Ltd, RH² provided technical development support and manufactured prototype Aluminium parts for the gearbox castings, saddle mount castings and rubber parts for the floor mat, arm rest and screen surround of the bike along with PU mouldings for normally injection moulded parts, simulating ABS, Nylon and Polypropylene.

RH² also subsequently provided Exertris support manufacturing main side panels by casting two resin tools using Vantico’s laminating resin system. Placed inside a steel fabricated structural framework, each tool weighed two tons on completion. RH² used Vantico’s Araldite SW 5155 gelcoat and LY 5052 high temperature laminating and binding resin with aluminium granule and quartz sand backing materials, to cast the tools.

Using the SRIM (structural reaction injection moulding) process in these tools, RH² then manufactured the prototypes of the two side panels of the gym bike which house the gearing systems. The finished panels were used on the pre-production series of the gym bike, built for product testing and customer demonstrations.

“This gym bike is the first of its type in the UK market in terms of styling and the video games facility in the console. So we had to have the highest quality team on it for all aspects of the bike’s development,” said Karl Drage, COO, Exertris. “We chose to work with RH² because they bring a unique combination of design development and composite engineering skills – including the ability to produce prototype parts of this size. That skill set enabled us to have a pre-production model that really impressed our customers. RH² could also produce the prototype parts twice as quickly as any of their European competitors. They’ve been instrumental in helping us bring such an innovative product to market.”

RH² furthered commitment to the project by supporting with hardened production tooling and consequent piece part supply for rubber compression mouldings, aluminium gravity die-cast components, injection mouldings and polyurethane SRIM components.