Makki Load, innovative and lightweight design

Particle foams are increasingly applied in urban mobility

Photography: Koninklijke Gazelle N.V.

Makki Load, a fully equipped and sustainable cargo bike made by Gazelle. Innovative and lightweight design, a Dutch original. The robust EPP box has high sides and a beautifully finished design, providing optimal safety for children while cycling through the city. The EPP used in the design is sustainably produced and lightweight, which makes this sustainable cargo bike even more comfortable to ride. Thanks to the low step-in cover, children can easily climb into the box. The material can be used in various weather conditions without feeling too hot or too cold to the touch. Designers are increasingly using particle foams for applications in urban mobility.

Lightweight EPP box for the Makki Load

The sustainable, lightweight EPP box, equipped with a low step-in cover, was designed in co-creation. The Van Berlo design agency and Gazelle partnered with the particle foam engineers at HSV early in the design process. The results speak for themselves. The box on the cargo bike is equipped with:

• A strong structure with high sides made from robust EPP, for extra safety
• A low step-in cover for user convenience
• Enough room to safely transport several children at once
• Adapters for an infant’s car seat and child’s booster seat, and a storage drawer

It’s easy to take along everyone and everything you need! (max. load: 250 kg)

Richard Hofs, Mechanical Engineer at the Gazelle bicycle company, about the partnership with HSV:

“It’s extraordinary to see the wide range of options offered by EPP. During the design process, HSV walked us through the possibilities that the material could provide and showed us examples. They taught us how to design with EPP, which enabled us to optimise the product into its final form.“

EPP is a particle foam that is very shock-absorbent and impact-resistant, for enhanced road safety. More advantages of EPP:

• Ability to be shaped into any form at all
• Lightweight
• Robust
• Impact-resistant and shock-absorbing
• Can handle various loads
• Easy to clean
• Does not feel too hot or too cold to the touch
• Sustainably produced

100% recyclable, while retaining its properties

Would you like to know more about particle foams in urban mobility? Or assess the feasibility of your product design? Contact the particle foam engineers at HSV and request a free feasibility study. During the feasibility study, the HSV engineers assess whether your product design can be manufactured using particle foams (EPS, EPP, ETPU, etc.), plastic injection moulding, or Project+ solutions that combine both techniques. Your request will be kept confidential.

Assembly

To simplify the logistics process and achieve savings, HSV handles assembly of this sustainable EPP box. In a customer-specific assembly line, the screws are put into place, the step-in cover and bumper sections are assembled, various components are glued together, and the product is packed into a re-usable package.

‘The expertise they offer in terms of gluing components is one of the reasons for us to assign assembly work to HSV,’ Richard Hofs explains. ‘HSV also contributed to a solution for Gazelle’s request for re-usable, sustainable packaging. At the end of the logistics process, children can convert the box into a bicycle shop.’

Read more about assembly at HSV.

Makki Load, winner of the iF Design Award 2020

The design of the Makki Load brought Gazelle the prestigious iF Design awards. As particle foam engineers, we’re proud that we were able to contribute to the design, production and assembly of the EPP box for this innovative cargo bike. We would like to extend our warmest congratulations to Gazelle on winning this award.

About iF Design Awards

The iF Design Awards are presented annually by iF International Forum Design GmbH in Hannover, Germany, the world’s oldest independent design forum. Over 6000 entries from 70 countries are submitted every year, divided into various award categories.

Test the feasibility of your product design

Would you like to assess the feasibility of your product design? Or know more about particle foams in urban mobility? Contact the particle foam engineers at HSV and request a free feasibility study. During the feasibility study, the HSV engineers assess whether your product design can be manufactured using particle foams (EPS, EPP, ETPU, etc.), plastic injection moulding, or Project+ solutions from HSV that combine both techniques. Your request will be kept confidential.