More 324 Press & Progress

Special thanks to Mountain Bike Magazine for their recent STRAIGHT DIRT blog post about the 324 Brake Adapter System. Our first batch of fifty, yes five zero, kits are in process and don't wait to get onto the pre-order list. Email 'timmyc@324labs.com' for ordering details. These kits are moving fast even though they slow you down!

I've been working closely with our machinist to optimize run times on this first batch of split clamps and actuator arms.

Raw aluminum bar stock is pre-cut to size using the band saw. Once order volumes increase, these blanks will be pre-cut ahead of time to save time.

Machining takes place on a Kitamura Mycenter 1 machining center. Although this particular machine is nearly 20 years old, it cranks out these parts with ease. Three adjacent vises are used for each setup. Left vise is Setup 1 for profiling where material is left on the underside for the vise to tighten against. Right vise is Setup 2 for the mounting hole and lightening window. Center vise is final Setup 3 to remove support material from the back side of the fully-profiled part.

After Setup 3 is complete, each completed part is removed from the center vise and deburred by hand. Key features such as the pivot hole diameter are measured against the technical drawing for accuracy and quality control.

People always ask me why machined parts are so expensive - here is a small glimpse into the number of steps it takes to produce a simple clamp. And this doesn't include plating, assembly, laser marking or final packaging! To produce quality designs, I never cut any corners and the difference is clear when compared to some imported components that cost nearly the same amount!