en.Wedoany.com Reported - German plastic component specialist igus has introduced a one-piece plastic wheel manufactured using rotomolding technology, aimed at improving the durability of cargo bikes under heavy-load delivery conditions. Urban cargo bikes place increased strain on wheels when transporting large goods, and traditional spoked wheels are prone to failure under heavier loads, leading to higher maintenance costs and delivery disruptions. Over 90% of the material used in the new wheel is plastic, with approximately 50% being recycled materials, such as discarded fishing nets. igus has refined the wheel design based on research and practical testing of its igus:bike.

Dave Spence, Head of Bicycle Components at igus (Northampton), stated that hundreds of test rides and thousands of miles of road testing worldwide have validated the wheel's robustness. The product is currently available in 24-inch and 26-inch sizes and can be supplied as a standalone component to manufacturers. Electric cargo bikes typically need to withstand a total load of up to 300 kg, subjecting the wheels to severe impacts when navigating curbs, potholes, and cobblestones. Internal laboratory tests conducted in accordance with the DIN 79010:2020-02 standard showed that each wheel bore a load of 120 kg on a test bench simulating repeated impacts. Spence noted that the wheels remain reliably operational after 10,000 kilometers of travel, significantly reducing the frequency of wheel replacements in daily deliveries.

Traditional spoked wheels require regular spoke tensioning and truing maintenance, increasing operational costs and working hours. The rotomolding process evenly distributes molten plastic within a rotating mold, creating a seamless, dimensionally stable, one-piece structure that eliminates these maintenance needs. Spence believes this design gives the wheels excellent load-bearing capacity, particularly torsional strength under sudden braking, frequent start-stop cycles, and harsh road conditions. To achieve this performance, the wheel walls are thicker, with a weight ranging from 2.2 kg to 2.5 kg (corresponding to 24-inch to 28-inch sizes). At the end of their service life, the wheels can be returned to igus for recycling, helping to support a more sustainable operational closed loop.

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