Case Study: Huge Design achieves rapid production of complex DMLS bike lugs for its EVO urban bike with Protolabs

California design firm puts new spin on bicycle utility with complex DMLS lugs

Huge Design, a San Francisco design firm, set out to develop EVO, an urban utility bike that lets riders quickly attach and detach baskets, racks, child seats and other accessories. The team needed highly complex metal lugs with integrated interior clipping mechanisms and organic geometries that were difficult to machine or fabricate conventionally, so engineering partner PCH Lime Lab turned to Protolabs for metal 3D printing via direct metal laser sintering (DMLS).

Protolabs produced stainless DMLS lugs, a bottom bracket shell and a fork crown that integrated the clipping mechanism and fillet-like shapes, enabling four to five rapid design iterations, far simpler welds and reduced production time. The printed components delivered robust performance—supporting a 100 lb cantilever load at 2 ft, secure, rattle‑free attachments and added features like a built‑in cable lock and steering stabilizer—resulting in a production‑ready EVO prototype and a much faster development cycle thanks to Protolabs’ DMLS capability.

Huge Design

Chris Harsacky

Founder