We recently went back to Manchester University to discuss the fork steerer project we're setting up.
The test scan of the C60 fork steerer was set to a mid level resolution, took 4 hours to complete, and had a whopping file size of 0.5TB.
Damage to fork steerers is probably one of the most common and potentially dangerous issues we see. By researching it more we hope to provide a better service, and ultimately keep people's faces away from the tarmac!
The blue sections highlight porosity in the lay up. The horizontal crescent is the area we were most interested in. The bike had hit a severe pot hole which resulted in high loads being applied at this point by the base of the stem. The cross sectional view shows the delamination present at this point.
The aim of the project is to provide further detailed insight into common fork steerer issues. We hope to then investigate these areas further using finite analysis and physical testing. We can then feed the knowledge gained into our own non destructive test procedures. It's exciting stuff!
The guys at Manchester University School of Engineering have been awesome. It's great to see such inquisitive minds being set free on millions of pounds worth of technology!
