Manufacture of carbon mountain bike frames with prepreg hand layup, painting and assembly in Einsiedeln
Brasch Design Composites GmbH
Einsiedeln SZNew on Amplifa
Carbon frames 'made in Switzerland' from Einsiedeln
Brasch Design Composites GmbH, under its Nostra Bikes brand, develops and manufactures carbon frames for mountain bikes in Einsiedeln, Switzerland. Under the 'Swiss Made' label, the Nostra bike is produced entirely in-house, from development through carbon frame production to painting and complete assembly. The carbon frame parts are made by prepreg hand layup: machine-cut carbon prepregs are laid by hand, according to a precise layer build-up, into two-part aluminium moulds — the front frame triangle with 148 plies, the rear triangle in two separate moulds. Curing takes place under pressure and heat at 110 °C in a press; afterwards the frames are inspected, sanded, finished in an in-house painting station and the inserts are bonded in. Customers come from the bicycle and sports industry, especially in the cross-country and down-country mountain bike segment; the offering also includes configuration with customer-selected components, test rides and factory tours.
- Site
- Einsiedeln
- Processes
- Carbon prepreg hand layup (laying machine-cut carbon prepregs by hand into, Curing of carbon frame parts under pressure and heat in a press (curing at 110 °C,, Machine cutting of carbon prepregs, Demoulding of carbon frames from the moulds, Sanding/finishing of carbon frames after inspection, Painting of carbon frames (custom colour, visible carbon with glossy or matt clear coat), Bonding of inserts into carbon frames, Complete bicycle/frame assembly (configuration with customer components)
- Materials
- Carbon prepreg, Carbon (visible carbon painting/finishing), Aluminium (tooling), Carbon (visible carbon)
- Industries
- Bicycle industry, Sports and leisure industry, Mountain bike (cross-country, down-country), Sports/leisure industry
- 01
Development and design including tooling
- 02
Machine cutting of the carbon prepregs
- 03
Hand layup into aluminium moulds
- 04
Curing under pressure and heat in a press (110 °C)
- 05
Demoulding and inspection
- 06
Sanding/finishing
- 07
Painting or visible carbon with clear coat
- 08
Bonding in of the inserts
- 09
Complete assembly
Materials and manufacturing processes
Carbon prepreg
Machine-cut prepreg plies are laid by hand into aluminium moulds and form the layer build-up of the frame.
Carbon (visible carbon)
Optional finish in a pure carbon look with glossy or matt clear coat.
Aluminium (tooling)
Two-part moulds for the front frame triangle and two moulds for the rear triangle.
Production site
Einsiedeln
CHDevelopment, carbon production, painting, assembly and sales
- Lot size
- One-off production to customer configuration
- Materials
- Carbon prepreg, carbon, aluminium (moulds)
- Curing press for composite parts
- Aluminium moulds (3 pieces)
- Painting station
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon prepreg hand layup (laying machine-cut carbon prepregs by hand intoPlastics | – | – | – | – | Carbon prepreg, Aluminium (moulds) |
| Curing of carbon frame parts under pressure and heat in a press (curing at 110 °C,Plastics | – | – | – | – | Carbon prepreg |
| Machine cutting of carbon prepregsPlastics | – | – | – | – | Carbon prepreg |
| Demoulding of carbon frames from the mouldsPlastics | – | – | – | – | Carbon prepreg |
| Sanding/finishing of carbon frames after inspectionSurface | – | – | – | – | Carbon |
| Painting of carbon frames (custom colour, visible carbon with glossy or matt clear coat)Surface | – | – | – | – | Carbon |
| Bonding of inserts into carbon framesJoining | – | – | – | – | Carbon, Inserts (material not specified) |
| Complete bicycle/frame assembly (configuration with customer components)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Carbon |
| Development and design of carbon bikes/composite parts (including tooling)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Carbon |
| Inspection of frames after demouldingTesting | – | – | – | – | Carbon |
3 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Press (curing press for composite parts) | – | – | – | – | Einsiedeln SZ |
| Aluminium tool / moulds (two-part mould for front frame triangle, two separate | – | 3 | – | – | Einsiedeln SZ |
| Painting station | – | – | – | – | Einsiedeln SZ |
Additional services