Rim Drilling Machine
The unique rim drilling machine can drill all possible spoke patterns in ultra-light carbon bike rims for the professional cycling sport. The company Edco invented the drill principle and TSG developed the machine: from design to trial production in our own Proto & Pilot Production department.
The TSG rim drilling machine can drill at any angle from the centre of the rim thanks to its unique rim turning and clamping system. Where existing machines are only able to drill from the outside, the TSG rim drilling machine is capable of drilling spoke holes from the inside and nipple holes from the outside. This makes it possible to drill exactly the right angle for the spoke in the rim so that spokes are free of unnecessary warping, thereby increasing reliability. The machine was developed to drill 26 inch, 27.5 inch and 28 inch rims to a rim height of 9 cm.
In addition to the basic functionality of the machine, it also need to be capable of drilling different rim types. This was a major challenge, both mechanically and electronically. We opted for a programmable spoke pattern generator that automatically generates a drill program using the given hub and rim parameters. The spoke patterns developed can be loaded into the machine using a USB stick.
