Hydroforming & Technoforming

No more need for completely round-shaped aluminium tubes – especially when research verifies that other profiles are much more advantageous with regard to MERIDA bikes! Frame areas receiving the highest load peaks (especially around thehead tube and BB) can be manufactured much more rugged and torsion-resistant if their tubes feature stress-specific dimensions – directly resulting in noticeably enhanced safety and steering stability.

In the context of carbon frame manufacturing, designers enjoy nearly unlimited possibilities: Under correct consideration of all technological aspects, there is a lot of scope for the creation of attractive, aesthetic highlights. For several years, a special technology has also been allowing gentle 3D shaping with respect to high-quality aluminium tubes: In our "Hydroforming System" (HFS) process, single frame tubes are filled up with hot liquid. The hot liquid "shapes" the respective tube by hydraulic power. During shaping, the extremely high pressure causes the tube walls to expand completely against an elaborate moulding form – respectively resulting in an exact "mirror image". As the following pages demonstrate, HFS enables the creation of beautiful, unique frame designs – not only convincing with stunning visual appearance, but also with excellent performance data.

Example: Thanks to enlarged tube diameters, the specifically shaped head tube sectioncompletely absorbs any load peaks transmitted by fork and front brake into the frame. At the same time, seamless and consistent welds highlight the perfect tube transitions. Result: Our HFS XC COMP aluminium frame virtually eliminates torsional flex of the head tube and therefore provides outstanding steering precision – as well as a sensationally low weight (only 1.450 g) within this performance class! One of the key elements in achieving this low frame weight is the use of our Prolite 66 high quality aluminium alloy tubes,which forms the essential basis for the successful execution of our "Hydroforming System."

Without doubt, the following design elements have become trademarks of a MERIDA bike: The concavely curved side walls of the broad, polygon down tube – perfectly matched by the seat tube's diameter narrowing towards the rear. Or the nearly "one-cast" appearance of the HFS head tube joining top and down tube within a visually striking symbiosis capable of carrying extremely high loads.

At the same time, our know-how enables us to shape more economically-priced tube materials in a very exciting way: Thanks to our "Technoforming System" (TFS), we are also able to produce mechanical "mirror images" – frame tubes being shaped by mechanical pressing processes. Compared to Hydroforming, TFS shaping power takes its effect in an inward direction. Nevertheless, the visual result is surprisingly HFS-like. For technological reasons, the simpler TFS process requires larger wall thickness and less radical tube-butting. That's why our TFS frames are slightly heavier than the premium HFS models.

Within the mid-market categories, our TFS aluminium frames definitely set new benchmarks with respect to technology and visual appearance – more evidence ofthe fact that attractive MERIDA frame designs always represent a unique combination of best possible quality and inspiring shape. In other words: A perfect foundation for outstanding pieces of sports equipment providing class leading value.

Detail

Strong frame front: The head tube being shaped for the first time by HFS technology connects perfectly to the mighty HFS top and down tubes. This guarantees excellent head tube stiffness and transfers the forces form fork and brakes to the string chassis, while oversized head-set bearings being fashionable at these times become superfluous.

Amazing appearance: This perspective proves that MERIDA TFS technology already sets new benchmarks for middle-priced frames by offering features otherwise only found within the premium category of aluminium frames.