P
Phil Spengler
Guest
I have a question which I was hoping that someone here can help me with. Please forgive my ignorance
of metallurgy, as it is not my field :^)
I'm working on a bicycle handlebar, to be fabricated from 6061-T6 aluminum. While a somewhat
unorthodox (read:aerodynamic) design, my engineer designed it to have the stiffness of an equivalent
length of 1 in. diameter 6061-T6, wall thickness .08". In other words, stiffer than much of what is
out there on the market in this niche.
Here's the rub...while shopping fabricators to make my prototype bar, I have gotten a couple of
different opinions. One firm tells me that the 6061-T6 alloy loses approx 10% strength with welding.
This I can live with, as the bar has been overengineered to begin with. The rep said, "Unless you
are building an airplane out of it, don't worry".
Another firm has informed me that there will be a loss of over 50% strength, and that I absolutely
must have it heat treated (cost $200 dollars) or risk certain doom. This particular fellow has done
more bicycle work...which in one sense makes me trust him. On the other hand, the first guy was from
a pretty big aluminum fabrication house.
Would anyone care to weigh in on the subject? My R&D budget is not huge, and I will probably need to
go through a few revisions of the project based on rider input...so I am trying to be as economical
as possible. However, I will certainly spend the money to get a safe end result, as I don't want to
kill my test riders (of which I am one)!
Thanks, Phil
of metallurgy, as it is not my field :^)
I'm working on a bicycle handlebar, to be fabricated from 6061-T6 aluminum. While a somewhat
unorthodox (read:aerodynamic) design, my engineer designed it to have the stiffness of an equivalent
length of 1 in. diameter 6061-T6, wall thickness .08". In other words, stiffer than much of what is
out there on the market in this niche.
Here's the rub...while shopping fabricators to make my prototype bar, I have gotten a couple of
different opinions. One firm tells me that the 6061-T6 alloy loses approx 10% strength with welding.
This I can live with, as the bar has been overengineered to begin with. The rep said, "Unless you
are building an airplane out of it, don't worry".
Another firm has informed me that there will be a loss of over 50% strength, and that I absolutely
must have it heat treated (cost $200 dollars) or risk certain doom. This particular fellow has done
more bicycle work...which in one sense makes me trust him. On the other hand, the first guy was from
a pretty big aluminum fabrication house.
Would anyone care to weigh in on the subject? My R&D budget is not huge, and I will probably need to
go through a few revisions of the project based on rider input...so I am trying to be as economical
as possible. However, I will certainly spend the money to get a safe end result, as I don't want to
kill my test riders (of which I am one)!
Thanks, Phil