The properties and the manufacturing process for boards and skis in the sports equipment industry are said to be improved with a new, fibre reinforced composite material. Made of carbon and glass fibres, the material Lamisport X-treme forms the upper and lower layers (upper and lower skins) in a compact, compressed sandwich structure. The material is said to feature 15% lower weight while offering good UV resistance as well as stiffness and strength for sports equipment. Direct printing on the surface and savings on further sandwich layers also ensure a more efficient production process.
The directly printable fibre reinforced composite for skis and boards is available in white and numerous other colours and also in a translucent version for use with high-grade wooden cores. (photos: Lamilux)
When featured as an upper skin in sports boards or skis, this new material replaces the four layers used in conventional production processes with one single-layer surface. These layers include the top sheet with its smooth surface, UV resistance and printability, a thin adhesive layer and a further layer containing reinforcement fibres and a protection film, which protects the upper skin against scratches during the subsequent processing steps.
When used as an upper skin in boards or skis, Lamisport X-Treme can replace the several layers in conventional production processes with just one single-layer surface.
Sascha Oswald, Product Manager at Lamilux, sees a great advantage in its surface printing, possible when the protection film is applied. “Dye-sublimation printing allows the colour particles to be diffused directly into the surface.” The process-capable protection film may also remain attached during all further production stages.
Inseparable, light and torsion-resistant laminate
The gelcoat also provides protection for the highly glossy surface once it is used in products such as skis, snowboards or wakeboards. As Lamilux manufactures its fibre reinforced composites in a continuous production process, surface refinement is already added during production instead of at a later stage.
Skis and sport boards owe their extreme stiffness combined with light weight to the material consisting of a high-strength, sturdy sandwich layer made of carbon, glass fibres and resin. The fibres are arranged in a uni-directional, bi-directional, tri-directional or multi-directional alignment in the composite. “The fibre alignment, fibre type and fibre volume fraction that we choose depends directly on the future load requirements,” explains Oswald. “The material has been developed for the high mechanical loads in skis and sport boards.” The material is claimed to be suitable for those applications thanks to its high reinforcement fibre content and its flexible, robust epoxy resin system.
Available in white and numerous other colours, the material is also manufactured in a translucent version for use with high-grade wooden cores. It also offers powerful visual appeal as a black carbon layer which features a visible multi-directional woven fabric structure on the surface of boards or skis.
www.lamilux.com
