At Bianchi the bicycle embodies a complex development process of invention and technological innovation. Behind each new model there is this concept, as well as experience and common sense, the legacy of over 120 years of history.

At Bianchi we aim at achieving the best, always, therefore the research into innovative materials is one of the mainstays of our philosophy.

The choice of ultra-light aluminium alloys, aerospace-grade titanium, boron steel, carbon and nano-technology comes from a specific research for their application in the cycling sector.

But there's a long way to go, from the investigation into new materials, through the design of new profiles, dimensions, geometries, up to the laboratory tests and ending with the ultimate test: competition. Our extensive testing before and on the race course leads to the best solutions for our production models and endows them with technology par excellence.

MTB materials

The models of the MTB range, whether Hard Tail or Full Suspension, have been completely redesigned in geometries and tube sections. Gauges have been revised to optimize their characteristics. Heat and aging treatments of materials have been specifically developed to further improve the frames performances of Oetzi Alu/Carbon and Oetzi Carbon series.

Oetzi Alu/Carbon components are made by CNC machines to ensure the utmost precision and tiny tolerances. Oetzi Carbon models features a monocoque frame made up with high-modulus carbon fibers, imbued with special resins.

Steel

Steel is one of the most common and best known materials and while it is the material originally used in the construction of bicycle frames, steel remains an excellent frame material. Steel is an iron-based alloy associated in different percentage to various components such as Carbon, Chrome, Molybdenum, Nickel, Manganese, Vanadium, Cobalt, etc. Many are the steel alloys employed in the cycling production and, among them, just a few are used by Bianchi Reparto Corse.

Today's steel ensures the utmost performances with particularly limited weights, far lower in comparison to those of years past. The new alloys have a weight very close to aluminum alloys and a good elastic response, qualities which are particularly appreciated on frames suitable for covering long distances.

Steel, unlike aluminum, has better stability through time and does not require exacting maintenance cycles. In normal use conditions it has an almost unlimited fatigue resistance, if properly treated against rust. Steel frames have optimal performances, they are stiff and comfortable at the same time, suitable for every kind of use.

Chrome molybdenum steel

The chrome-molybdenum steel (quality ASTM: 4130; DIN denomination: 25Cr-Mo4), features chrome (1%) and molybdenum (0,3 %) as main components, but it also includes carbon (0,3 %), phosphorus and silicon in minimal quantities. The percentage of noble metals is approximately 5% in total. Its tensile strength is higher than carbon alloyed steel, and its weight is lower. Chrome-molybdenum tensile strength, considering the low gauges used for the bicycle tubing, is of 80/90 Kg/mm2 approximately. This feature makes it one of the best steels for cycling use. Bianchi frames and forks for prestige touring models, racing, road and MTB, are made of chrome-molybdenum steel.

The percentage of chrome and molybdenum is increased in reinforced Cr-Mo steels to obtain an improvement in the mechanical features so as to reduce the tubing gauges and reduce weight.

Dedacciai has engineered special tubing expressly for Bianchi with a special type of steel. It is a HSLA (High Strength Low Alloy) micro-alloyed material, commercial acronym 18MCDV6HT, which has an incredible tensile strength threshold at 1.400 N/mm2. Dedacciai tubing for Bianchi are triple-butted with special profiles like LTP (Low Torsion Profile), developed to reduce weight and lateral twisting of the frame during acceleration, also by means of reinforcements of different size and gauge.

Aluminum

Aluminum is synonymous with lightness, which, together with good mechanical resistance, is the most sought quality in cycling.

Bianchi Reparto Corse fabricates bicycle frames with class 7000 aluminum alloy due to its weldability with TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) process. This alloy, after T6 heat treatment carried out on tubing after drawing, acquires self-hardening properties after moderate heating (around 400°C) and soft quenching, recovering as well its mechanical features. In fabricated products, these alloys turn out to be technically competitive with steels, thanks to a much lower density, approx. 1/3 (aluminum 2.7, steel 7.8).

It is therefore possible to produce stiff frames with reduced weight but high comfort:

• tensile strength N/mm2 450
• yield point N/mm2 370
• elongation 12%
• hardness HB 117

Moreover Bianchi research went deep into the welding processes and filler materials. The TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding process is carried out after a careful cleaning of the parts to remove oil and impurities by immersion into an ultrasonic bath, to avoid any kind of contamination. Welding is done in a cabin which is isolated from external agents.

The type of alloy employed for the welding is Al-Mg5 (aluminum, manganese 5%). The manganese content permits to obtain excellent mechanical qualities and a high corrosion resistance. Bianchi has fine-tuned this process to prevent cracks from fatigue during or after the welding process.

Features

Aluminum is one of the latest materials used in mass production. Unlike steel, which played a starring role during the industrial revolution, aluminum found its way only during the 20th century.

Extracted for the first time in 1825, produced in small quantities in 1850-1860, aluminum entered the real industrial phase after 1880, when researchers Hall in USA and Eheroult in France studied and realized almost at the same time the fabrication process, named after them, which enabled a real production with a reliable and repetitive methodology.

In less than one century aluminum has gone through a remarkable evolution in its production and use, and nowadays its utilization worldwide is second only to steel.

The distinct features of aluminum in comparison to other materials are: weight, conductibility, excellent resistance to atmospheric agents and good mechanical properties. The pure metal has limited mechanical features, but its alloys have far better properties than those of the most common construction steels. The aluminum alloys can meet the big demands of many industrial applications.

Aluminum alloys have found a continuously increasing employment, like in aerospace construction and more in general in the transportation sector — including bicycles — applications which require a combination of high mechanical resistance and reduced weight.

Carbon Fiber

Known for its use in aerospace and racing industries, carbon fiber traces its underlying technology to ancient Egypt, where the first known composite material was invented: a type of brick made up of clay mixed with crushed straw. Composite materials result from the combination of two or more materials which are chemically and/or physically distinct at macroscopic level and insoluble, but once combined, the resulting material has superior properties than each individual component.

Modern composite materials combine a base material (matrix) with a reinforcing one (bond). The most famous are the composites whose reinforcement is made up of fibers and their matrix of a polymeric resin; they are largely employed by the aerospace industry where their high mechanical features and lightness are fundamental.

For its products Bianchi uses high-modulus carbon fibers (UHM/IM – Ultra High Modulus Graphite), which are 47% more resistant than standard carbon fibers. The final result achieved by using these fibers is a more resistant, more rigid and at the same time elastic product in comparison to other carbon fibers used by competitors for similar applications. In addition, the UHM/IM fibers used by Bianchi have an excellent vibration-dampening feature, also thanks to research investigating the optimal direction of the fabrics.

Bianchi XL Carbon frames, both Road and MTB, have a structure specifically designed to optimize torsional and lateral stiffness.

The new oversized Mega Pro Evolution Road and MTB downtubes greatly contribute to the stability/stiffness of the frames, an improvement demonstrated even by comparative laboratory tests carried out on other frames. The rear monostay seat stays and straight stays withstand perfectly lateral bending and contribute to an efficient transfer of power to the rear triangle, at the same time eliminating the need for the traditional connecting "bridge" between the rear seat stays.

In collaboration with specialized companies, Bianchi simulated a structural analysis on carbon products aimed at obtaining, during the design phase, the elements necessary for the correct development of its products. This made it possible to find the most suitable position of the fibers thus maximizing the final product characteristics. Intensive laboratory tests confirmed the preliminary simulations. The pre-impregnated carbon fibers (prepreg – one-way carbon fibers soaked into a partly polymerized epoxy resin) are cut per the design drawing specifications and placed into a mold accordingly.

During the milling phase the carbon fiber sheets are layered with gluing agents and sealing resins around a silicone resin "core", which is later removed. The lot is inserted into a metal shell. The mold is then put into an autoclave where, through an increase of pressure and temperature for a specific amount of time, the resin polymerization takes place, thus giving the product its final consistency.

At this point the manufactured product is extracted from the mold and undergoes further finishing treatments. The first one consists in the removal of the inside part used as means of air expansion, then all other adjustments are carried out (shave off from mold, insertion of rear drop outs, assembly of conduit sheaths - cables, etc).

The final process consists in the surface finishing of the frame (varnishing/decal/flatting).

What is carbon?

Carbon is one of the most important elements on earth, because all plant and animal life is based on the chemistry of its compounds. Carbon is also the most important source of combustible and industrial chemical products. The two allotropic low density crystalline shapes of carbon, diamond and graphite, feature a particular structure which, at a macroscopic level, produces high tensile strength properties that are put to use in carbon fiber.

Titanium

Bianchi Reparto Corse uses exclusively work-hardened and certified grade 9 titanium. Each tube has a specific outside diameter and the right gauge so as to maximize the efficiency of the frame and save weight.

Each delivered material batch is accompanied by the certification of the physical and chemical properties, to ensure quality and constant production features. The mechanical features of each tube (tensile strength, elastic limit, elongation) are fundamental for the tube's final use. The main frame tubes require different tensile strength than the tubes of rear stays, because of the different machining (tapering, ovalization, rear Zero Flex Stays) requested in consequence of the stresses they undergo.

Some attempts made with grade 5 titanium have been discarded due to the much longer process of tubes preparations, and the negligible weight reduction obtained. Also the higher tensile strength (approx. 35 N/mm2) is minimal since the right combination of shapes, diameters and gauges of hardened-9-grade tubes gives the same result (which means a good balance between vibrations dampening, frame stiffness and fatigue strength). At present, the employ of grade 5 titanium instead of grade 9 would result only in a cost increase, without any real benefit for the end-user.

The use of a certified material is by far of primary importance: the different qualities of titanium offer different properties. Employing a non-certified material (featuring non constant physical and chemical features, as well as wrong shapes, dimensions or gauges) can result in a cost reduction (both in terms of raw material and production process costs) but the frames produced would suffer unacceptable structural flaws such as excessive bending or breakages after a short lifetime.

ASTM Standard

Grade 1: commercially pure titanium with low oxygen content. This quality has a low tensile strength and high ductility, it is employed for deep drawing and it is suitable for cold deformation.

Grade 2: commercially pure titanium with a higher oxygen content and a higher resistance compared to grade 1. Grade 2 titanium is the most widely used and offers the best compromise between strength, weldability and formability.

Grade 3: commercially pure titanium with higher oxygen content than grade 1 and 2 (higher resistance and lower ductility), good welding properties. It is employed for the fabrication of pressure vessels.

Grade 4: commercially pure titanium with higher strength properties. It is used for transmission equipments and in the aeronautics industry.

Grade 5 (Ti 6Al-4V): it is the most commonly used titanium alloy, it features a very high tensile strength though relatively low ductility. It is employed mainly in the aeronautics and aerospace industry. Also, it is a weldable alloy.

Grade 9 (TI 3Al-2.5V): titanium alloy with 3% of aluminium and 2,5% of vanadium. It has a high tensile strength and a good corrosion resistance. This alloy is specific and standardized for tubing.

In addition to the above-mentioned ones, there are additional titanium alloys conceived for specific applications.

Physical properties

In comparison to other materials, titanium features a low density (4.48 g/cm3 for grade 9 and 4.51 g/cm3 for grade 5, which is equal to 58% of the density of stainless steel). Titanium has a high melting point (1700°C for grade 9 and 1650°C for grade 5), a low Modulus of Elasticity (105 GPA {KN/mm2}) as well as a low coefficient of linear thermal expansion (9.3x10-6K-1 at 20°C for grade 9 and 8.6x10-1 at 20°C for grade 7).

Mechanical properties

Titanium has good mechanical properties which depend on the oxygen content for the unalloyed titanium and on the alloy elements for the titanium alloys.

The hardened-grade-9 titanium has a minimum value of yield strength of 725 MPa, which is similar to that of the best alloyed steels, a tensile strength of 125 KSI and an elongation percentage of 10%. Grade 9 titanium has a minimum tensile strength of 90 KSI.

Welding

The welding processes on parts fabricated in titanium have the same corrosion resistance of the base material and generally they do not require any heat treatment after welding. A wrong welding can cause embrittlement and have lower mechanical and corrosion resistance than the base material.

Melted titanium reacts quickly with many materials (organic and inorganic compounds, metals and gases), and for this reason the welding of titanium follows specific processes. It is absolutely necessary to use a proper location, clean and isolated from other treatments, safe from drafts, at constant temperature and under controlled humidity level.

The welding process used at Bianchi Reparto Corse is TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas): this type of welding, when properly done, results in mechanical features perfectly comparable to those of the base material.