![]() ![]() ![]() The preforms are inserted and molded using a Langzauner (Lambrechten, Austria) hydraulic press system. To build the brake lever, Blackwave cuts the Astar (Sondika, Spain) carbon fiber SMC material to the correct shape using a CNC cutting machine. According to Blackwave, the new brake lever, weighing in at 7 grams, falls into the lightweight range and can also withstand a lever force of at least 300 Newtons. After a few iterations and additional testing, the final part features a mostly unidirectional (UD) fiber orientation for the tension and compression strut, with a circular fiber orientation around the bearing set. Finite element analysis (FEM) was used to identify highly stressed areas of the part, informing decisions about fiber orientation in different parts of the lever. To design the part, Blackwave had to rethink the brake lever geometry to meet mechanical requirements using the new material. Those SMC rims would serve as inspiration for the partners’ new company. The vehicle, Behrens says, was highly successful in the collegiate competition, ranking third in the world in 2013. Behrens and Setz first met at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), where they successfully built carbon fiber SMC car rims for their school’s Formula Student vehicle design and engineering team. ![]() The company was founded in 2016 by former college classmates Bastian Behrens, CEO, and Raphael Setz, chief technical officer, with a focus on specialty automotive components built from carbon fiber SMC. In partnership with bike part supplier Trickstuff (Freiburg, Germany), Blackwave recently designed a premium brake lever manufactured with carbon fiber sheet molding compound (SMC) that is said to save weight by 35% compared to the previous aluminum version.īlackwave is fairly new to the sporting goods market, but not to carbon fiber SMC. “A carbon frame is almost standard on a good bike, but few people dare to build a carbon brake lever,” says Timon Strube, chief operating officer at Blackwave GmbH (Taufkirchen, Germany). Premium composite brake levers designed by carbon fiber SMC specialist Blackwave are now available on Piccola series bicycles. Source, all images | Blackwave GmbH ![]()
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