Project
Bike Brake Caliper
Client
McCormick Engineering
Date
Apr 6, 2025
Service
Analysis for Manufacture
The Project
Project Overview
Skills Strengthened
This project focused on the design and validation of a lightweight bicycle brake caliper developed to meet ISO 4210 braking requirements. The goal was to balance braking performance, stiffness, weight, and manufacturability while working within fixed mounting geometry and safety constraints.
Mechanical CAD Modeling
Structural Analysis (Hand Calculations + FEA)
Load Path Evaluation
Design Iteration and Validation
Design for Manufacturability
Modeling
Analysis
The design process began by defining key constraints such as mounting geometry, cable routing, braking force requirements, and allowable deflection at the brake pads. Initial CAD concepts were intentionally conservative, prioritizing stiffness and structural reliability to better understand force transmission through the caliper.
From these early models, geometry was refined to improve load paths and reduce unnecessary material while maintaining functional clearances and compatibility with standard bicycle components.
Hand calculations were used to estimate braking forces, reaction loads, and expected deflection, providing baseline validation for simulation results. Finite Element Analysis was then performed to evaluate stress distribution and stiffness under worst-case braking scenarios.
Stress and deflection results guided iterative geometry changes, including material removal in low-stress regions and reinforcement of critical load-bearing features. Later iterations revealed a buckling failure mode not fully captured by stress-based analysis alone, reinforcing the importance of considering instability alongside strength during design.
Iteration and
Manufacturability
Outcome
Design iterations were informed by both analysis and physical testing, leading to improvements in stiffness-to-weight efficiency and force transmission. Manufacturing feasibility was evaluated across multiple production methods, including die casting, forging with CNC finishing, and metal additive manufacturing. These considerations influenced wall thickness, fillet radii, and overall geometry.
The final design achieved improved braking performance and reduced mass compared to early concepts while remaining adaptable to different manufacturing approaches. The project reinforced an iterative design process grounded in analysis, validation, and real-world constraints.
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