Extrusion Case Study: bo electric scooters

In December 2021, Get It Made worked on an exciting collaboration with bo, an innovative company that manufactures electric scooters. This case study delves into the customer's experience working with Get It Made, the challenges overcome during the project, and prospects for both companies.

bo had a clear vision for the profile and design of their electric scooter, but they wanted to optimise the process for cutting extrusions. Get It Made delivered five prototypes of a new design, demonstrating how they seamlessly integrated extrusions into the scooter's design specifications.

We spoke with Harry Wills, Chief Technical Officer at bo, to gain insight into the company's mission and their experience working on this project.

When asked why bo approached Get It Made for this project, Harry explained that they needed help with complex components that could be made efficiently outside the UK. Still, with quality assurance and communication, they could rely on it. He also pointed out that other manufacturers needed more quality communication, resulting in tooling orders being placed 'at risk' of being fully understood and nuanced requirements being ignored.

Harry and his team were pleased with the short tooling and lead times, noting that the components transitioned from CAD to reality in a satisfyingly short period.

Overall, Harry described their experience with Get It Made positively, highlighting competitive cost and lead time, rapid, high-quality communication, and on-schedule delivery. He also hinted at future projects but remained tight-lipped about the details.

The project was particularly interesting for Get It Made due to the challenging design of the extrusion and the eye-catching final product. Collaborative discussions with the client were essential, as the extrusion required CNC machining as a second operation. With some inaccessible machined areas, compromises had to be made. bo appreciated the design for manufacture feedback provided by Get It Made.

Unlike most extrusion manufacturers who require a minimum order of 500kg, Get It Made's unique aluminium extruder can produce as little as a few meters. This allowed bo to test a real production part and better understand its strengths, tolerances, and finish. Prototyping the part using CNC machining or 3D printing would not have provided the same validation.

It took Get It Made six weeks from receiving the order to delivering the extruded and machined parts. The total tooling cost for both parts was £2,700, and each set of finished parts cost £680. Get It Made looks forward to working with bo as they launch their mobility scooter in the near future.

This case study demonstrates the successful collaboration between Get It Made and bo to optimise the manufacturing process for electric scooter components. Get It Made's commitment to quality, communication, and innovation helped bo achieve its goals, and both companies look forward to future projects together.

If you need help with a project and want to speak with one of our dedicated Project Managers, visit Get It Made and get an Aluminium Extrusion quote today. Check out our Design Guide for more information on our services. If you want to understand how much aluminium extrusions cost, check out our Aluminium extrusion costing article.

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