'Industrial Origami' is the name for a new technique for folding high strength duplex stainless steel. this facinating new technique could have a dramatic impact on how vehicles are produced in the future.
This new technique is called Lightfold, and it gets its name from the use of lasers to heat stainless steel sheets along a crease line. This allows the steel to be easily folded into the desired shape.
The first use for this is a low-cost electric scooter, that has been in the works by the joint founder of Stilride Tue Beijer. Ther Stilride is constructed from a stainless steel sheet made using a cold rolling process similar to rolling a thin sheet of pastry, but on an industrial scale. This process hardens the material, making it difficult to bend, however using lasers, or 'Lightfold', to heat it along an intended fold line can make it possible to easily fold the steel.
The first prototype of the scooter, called the Stilride SUS1 (Sports Utility Scooter One), is complete, and ready for launch right now. “We strongly believe in the electrification of personal mobility and see the need for a new breed of mid-range commuting vehicle made in harmony with nature”, says founder Tue Beijer.
Folding and manipulating Stainless Steel is also something that we have a lot of expertise in, from Stainless Steel Hand Wash Basins to Stainless Steel Vanity Tops.