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Guerrilla Gravity, badass frame manufacturer in Colorado

SylentK

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2004
2,611
1,067
coloRADo
So I'm pretty sure Canfield has been around longer than GG. What's the secret? (and I forget the reason, if there is one, why GG bailed?)

Both small companies with their spin on suspension. Burn out? Ride moar? Moar shimz?
 

Lelandjt

adorbs
Apr 4, 2008
2,630
980
Breckenridge, CO/Lahaina,HI
So I'm pretty sure Canfield has been around longer than GG. What's the secret? (and I forget the reason, if there is one, why GG bailed?)

Both small companies with their spin on suspension. Burn out? Ride moar? Moar shimz?
Well Canfield stuck to aluminum. I always assumed their frames are made in Asia, yes? Both those are cheaper than making carbon in Denver. Their pedals probably used to be a big revenue stream when they were one of the first thin pedals.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Who was it that wanted to restart GG themselves?

Here's the auction with a bunch of their machinery.

@SylentK

You're up!




good timing

my partner just asked me what I wanted for christmas


 
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vivisectxi

Monkey
Jan 14, 2021
514
613
yeast van
^shhhh. only $100 current bid; maybe nobody will notice this auction & my dream of opening a carbon rim manufactory in my garage will be fulfilled. looks like a neat system; substantially lower labor than traditional hand laid rims i assume. curious how they compare (visions of nylon Z-rims from the OG bmx days).

shame they never hit production with all that infrastructure investment in place tho.
 
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Feb 21, 2020
923
1,289
SoCo Western Slope
Who was it that wanted to restart GG themselves?

Here's the auction with a bunch of their machinery.

That's more than "a bunch", that is everything!

All the "patented process" molding stuff, machine tools with tooling, metrology equipment, full tool boxes, raw carbon, aluminum billet, probably a fridge with some moldy lunch and a few beers in it as well.

I know there is a healthy aerospace industry up there so some stuff will get snatched, but you could literally bid and buy GG in turn key fashion. Crazy!
 

shirk007

Monkey
Apr 14, 2009
531
402
That's more than "a bunch", that is everything!

All the "patented process" molding stuff, machine tools with tooling, metrology equipment, full tool boxes, raw carbon, aluminum billet, probably a fridge with some moldy lunch and a few beers in it as well.

I know there is a healthy aerospace industry up there so some stuff will get snatched, but you could literally bid and buy GG in turn key fashion. Crazy!
I looked through much of the listing but not all of it. I thought there was talk of them using tape laying robotics for doing their layups and I didn't see that on there.
 

Pneuma

Chimp
Nov 5, 2021
74
58
I looked through much of the listing but not all of it. I thought there was talk of them using tape laying robotics for doing their layups and I didn't see that on there.

I think these might be it?



Tape reels, some sort robotic arm feeder head thingy and an overhead projector.
 
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shirk007

Monkey
Apr 14, 2009
531
402
I think these might be it?



Tape reels, some sort robotic arm feeder head thingy and an overhead camera.
I was looking for the damn robots...

I should go read their patent.

Looking at those images of the line I'd guess the line feeders trim a specific length of the needed tape and the projector shows the manual operator exactly where to put it. Next precut tape next image showing application. Slideshow projected from above with outline of the tape locations in sequence.

I'd have to go back and re-read or watch the launch material from Rev, I thought they spoke of removing much of the manual labour.

Anyway, if anyone wants to start their own GG they'll get the equipment for a fraction of it's original value.
 

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,785
5,167
Australia
Anyway, if anyone wants to start their own GG they'll get the equipment for a fraction of it's original value.
I saw a start-up once go belly up in 6 months, liquidators came in and sold the equipment to settle the debt and the original operators bought it all back at a fraction of the initial outlay under a new business name.

Can't wait to get a Gorilla Gravity bike in 6 months.
 

Inclag

Turbo Monkey
Sep 9, 2001
2,774
458
MA
I looked through much of the listing but not all of it. I thought there was talk of them using tape laying robotics for doing their layups and I didn't see that on there.
Ex employee on Reddit spilled the beans. The layup was still all done by hand and techs were assisted by a projection tool that provided a visual aid for where the carbon would be placed.
 

shirk007

Monkey
Apr 14, 2009
531
402
Ex employee on Reddit spilled the beans. The layup was still all done by hand and techs were assisted by a projection tool that provided a visual aid for where the carbon would be placed.
Yeah after digging around in the pictures I figured out the projector.

I wonder if they were doing layup outside the mold then able to drop it into mold before going into the heated press. With pre-preg they usually need to do all lay-up into a mold so the number of molds will be a limiting factor. Being able to knock out lay-up without the mold will allow faster cycle times in molding.

Link to the Reddit thread? Would like to read it.
 

shirk007

Monkey
Apr 14, 2009
531
402
Usually some grade of nylon. There is some PA6 nylon tapes listed there in the auction.

Who is going to buy the pair of kids bikes?


 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
55,753
21,766
Sleazattle
Yeah after digging around in the pictures I figured out the projector.

I wonder if they were doing layup outside the mold then able to drop it into mold before going into the heated press. With pre-preg they usually need to do all lay-up into a mold so the number of molds will be a limiting factor. Being able to knock out lay-up without the mold will allow faster cycle times in molding.

Link to the Reddit thread? Would like to read it.
It is a standard manufacturing process (one of many) to create flat charges of materials prior to inserting into the mold. That can be automated. Ultrasonic knife CNC machine cuts plies, robot with suction cups stacks plies, then inserts into the mold.

I have worked on large layup machines that apply unidirectional tape directly onto the tooling but that is largely impossible for bikes as the machines don't have the room to get into tight convex molds.

I was wondering how GG automated their process. Turns out it must have just been their mate Otto doing the work. Next we will figure out their linkages weren't free.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Feb 21, 2020
923
1,289
SoCo Western Slope

konifere

Monkey
Dec 20, 2021
607
753
Seeing that some people didn't jive with the name/logo/rocknroll themes of GG, I was all set to buy the whole assets and had all my marketing and paperwork done for the new company name (Guest Guacamole™). But some dickhead bought the laminator and I am stuck with the name. Oh well, that'll teach me, but at least I can use the name for something else.
 

Avy

Turbo Monkey
Jan 24, 2006
1,363
460
Seeing that some people didn't jive with the name/logo/rocknroll themes of GG, I was all set to buy the whole assets and had all my marketing and paperwork done for the new company name (Guest Guacamole™). But some dickhead bought the laminator and I am stuck with the name. Oh well, that'll teach me, but at least I can use the name for something else.
Dam,that’s crazy

Avy
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
I should start a company called Gullible n' Greedy

Those of you who know my ambitious goals within the industry.......let's get some investment together and get some carbon pressin shit.

Let's have some fun and get rich :brows:

or just more realistically pay some bills while giving some dentists very good reasons that justify their chosen profession
 

roflbox

roflborx
Jan 23, 2017
3,163
834
Raleigh, NC
imagine trying to run a bike company with all of you, the gnashing of teeth would be obscene.

I do see in the auction listing that there are a few boxes marked obsolete jigs.

Maybe that has all of the alloy bike frame jigs in them :o
 

roflbox

roflborx
Jan 23, 2017
3,163
834
Raleigh, NC
It has nothing to do with bike companies specifically and everything to do with vulture capitalism.
maybe gnashing of teeth wasnt the best phrase, I was referring to if we all pitched in and bought the tooling, assuming everyone has an equal vote, getting a design that everyone agrees on lol