Introduction

The benefits of advanced composite materials have long been appreciated by sportsmen and women striving to achieve the best possible results at national, international and Olympic levels.

The carbon and glass fibre materials supplied by the Advanced Composites Group (ACG) have been at the forefront of medal winning performances in the sports arena for many years. Characteristics such as processing flexibility and exceptional strength have inspired engineers to develop sports equipment that has led to significant improvements in human performance at a phenomenal pace.

With sports design, stress and research engineers in mind, ACG has prepared and collated an extensive database of material mechanical properties. This database characterises a wide range of resin and fibre combinations that are frequently applied to notable and successful applications for goods in the sports arena.

The data is comprehensive and is prepared for finite element analysis and can be extended to encompass new fibre/resin/test combinations as required. All of this information is available on request from ACG's Technology Centre.

Typical applications include, but are not limited to:

• Tennis racquets

• Frames and components for racing cycles

• Boot shells for climbing, skiing or skating

• Motorcycle accessories, i.e. airboxes, fuel tanks and wheels

• Fishing rods and poles

• Jet skis, snowboards, wakeboards and canoes

The above examples, which successfully utilised the benefits of prepreg materials, have enabled the swift development of prototype designs, brought about significant technical improvements and have enabled top performers achieve their medal hopes and aims.