Starting with a Fresh Sheet (of Aluminium)
We all know Evotech Performance products are sold by Motorcycle manufacturer and model. Scrolling down the page, what is quickly evident is the range of motorcycle parts and accessories on offer for each motorcycle. And with a custom design for each part, the production machines and processes are widely varied. So far in the Production at Evotech Series, we have looked at the CAM supported milling for crash protection, and sliding head lathes for Evotech’s in-house bolt making, yet many of Evotech’s parts are actually produced from ‘sheet’ metal. It’s time to find out a little more about what these products are and how they are made.
Whilst daily deliveries of aluminium in flat sheets up to 2.5 metres by 1.25 metres arrive at the Evotech HQ in Lincolnshire, the final parts departing the factory are anything but flat. What happens in between is a fine-tuned parade across the shop floor, from machine to machine, dependent on the part being made and the design requirements.
One of Evotech’s signature parts, the EP radiator guard, is one to receive such treatment. Revered by race teams and road riders, the protective parts are custom designed for each motorcycle model. However, place every design side by side and one clear similarity will be obvious: EP’s iconic matrix of hexagonal holes. The shape isn’t accidental. The uniform honeycomb pattern ensures no thin points create weakness in the material, whilst the repetitive design allows maximum airflow to the motorcycle’s radiator.
The large sheets of raw material are quickly presented to the beast that is the Trumpf Punch. Supported by its own CAM package, the shape outline is rough punched, fitting holes added, along with that well-known hexagonal design. The next stop is the machining centre, the Brother R650, for profiling into the ergonomic shapes required, as well as smoothing edges. From here, the EP Rad Guards head towards the Bystronic machines for bending. But more on that later.
For other Evotech parts, such as the variety of Sat Nav brackets and number plate brackets supplied with Evotech Tail Tidies, the route is very different. The first stop is the versatile CAD-driven ML Cube from Datron. Vacuum suctioning the aluminium sheet to the bed, the mill has up to 36 tools to choose from for a variety of shaping, threading and chamfering. Since its introduction to the Evotech shop floor over 6 years ago, the Datron has expanded the boundaries of complex designs which can be crafted from sheet metal, keeping pace with the higher expectations of the design team.
Once milled, the parts will have sharp edges or debris which needs to be dealt with. For that, all parts head from the Datrons to the Q Fin for a process called de-burring. Similar to sanding a piece of wood after being cut to size, the Q Fin uses a range of tools to smooth cut edges and create a range of finishes on the flat aluminium.
From this point both paths converge, from Trumph Punch or Datron, to head towards the suite of Bystronic machines for precision bending. Often referred to as a Press Brake, the Bystronic machines are operated by our highly trained staff to achieve exact angles and accurate bend positions. With a press strength of up to 80 tons and a bend speed that can reach 25mm per second, the precision machines ensure accurate, controlled bends which do not compromise the material’s strength.
Now cut and bent into position, the aluminium motorcycle parts have come to life; no longer the large, flat sheet of metal that arrived. Dependent on the part, the process could be a matter of a mere day, for others a week is required to travel from one end of the factory to the other. As ever at Evotech, the premium design each motorcycle deserves is the driver for the premium production of the motorcycle parts. And, of course, Evotech’s precision engineering machines and technicians always deliver.