Sustainably Manufacturing a Bamboo Bicycle in a Container Factory

Abstract

In order for manufacturing suppliers to stay competitive in the global market, innovative and resource efficient process chains need to be a part of the manufacturing strategy. Secondary manufacturing process steps entail the assembly and surface treatment manufacturing steps, after the primary cutting and shaping of the components. Bicycles have an enormous effect on society, both in terms of socio-economics and of advancing modern industrial processes. In order to manufacture bamboo bicycle frames in South Africa, innovative designs and process chains need to be developed. Container factories could be the answer to reduce costs and increase resource efficiency. In this study, the feasibility of manufacturing bamboo bicycle in shipping containers is investigated. These results are then used to evaluate the sustainability of manufacturing bamboo bicycles in container factories.