JEC Composites Magazine
While the Paris Olympic Games have just ended and the Paralympic Games are about to begin, the JEC Composites Magazine is devoting its feature to the impact of materials on the development of sports and the performance of athletes. In many sports, the correlation between the use of new materials and sporting progress is easily measured, because there are marks and records that can be established.
The most emblematic and best-known example is undoubtedly that of pole-vaulting. In the space of one hundred and fifty years, the pole vault world record has gone from 3.15 m to 6.24 m! We must update this record, which rose to 6.25 meters with Armand Duplantis’ magnificent jump during the Olympics, gold medal and world record! Initially made of wood, the poles were then made with bamboo (record estimated at 4.50 m), then in metal from the 1940s. But aluminium having had little contribution to performance, the transition using glass fibre established itself in the 1960s before gaining in complexity with an association of fibre glass and carbon fibre. Thanks to a remarkable combination of flexibility and excellent energy restitution, the race for the record has been relaunched and the jumping technique itself has evolved to control the pronounced impact of the twisting of the pole when it meets the stopper.
In fact, the anisotropic properties of composite materials work wonders in many sports and allow tailor-made treatment for the disciplines, or even for the athletes themselves.
By switching to a wide angle, this also reminds us that the world of research benefits from working with many sectors, including sport from which it has long kept a reasonable distance, even if things have evolved significantly over the past two decades. Sport is an ideal market for testing innovations, including in very advanced version, even beta, because it is less subject to the yoke of certifications and approvals than other sectors, particularly industrial ones. So many innovations have been born in research laboratories to benefit high-level athletes, then trickle down to amateurs. Serving sporting performance and safety too, tirelessly opening new horizons!
JEC Composites News
Daily updated, the web hub is the place to read the latest news of the composites industry in every sector of the composites industry. Hereunder a selection of news dedicated to Sports & Leisure:
CompoTech PLUS showcasing its latest Enduro racing mountain bike with innovative new carbon fibre suspension forks
CompoTech PLUS is exhibiting from 4-5 Sept 2024 at the International Composites Summit (ICS) Milton Keynes, UK. The company specialises in developing innovative automated carbon fibre laying (AFL) placement and winding technologies to manufacture high performance epoxy carbon fibre (CF) composite components and large structures. Using its R&D resources and design engineering expertise, CompoTech has also developed a proprietary integrated loop technology (ILT) for producing continuous fibre joints that do not require any drilling or fixings.
Sicomin resins propel Zeus metal horse above the Seine at 2024 Olympics opening ceremony
Sicomin’s advanced epoxy resins were used in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony. They were integral to the creation of Zeus, the flying metallic horse, that captivated audiences worldwide as it soared above the Seine River. The ambitious project, brought to life by MMProcess, composite design and technology specialists based in Brittany, France, showcased a stunning 14-metre long and 5-metre wide carbon composite trimaran that was used to manoeuvre the Zeus figure down the Seine.
Bcomp’s materials featured in the Foiling SuMoth Challenge, putting the wind behind sustainable design
The Foiling SuMoth Challenge is a staged competition among student teams for the best design, construction and on-water racing of a sustainable foiling moth. As an official partner, Bcomp was happy to be right there with the students and offer valuable guidance and support to the 11 participating teams. Sailors took to the beautiful waters of Lake Garda in Malcesine, Italy last week for the 11th edition of Foiling Week, a sailing event dedicated exclusively to foiling boats and their technologies. The event features the design, testing and racing of boats equipped with wing-like foils that lift the hull out of the water as they gain speed, as well as educational events and foil classes.
JEC Composites Web TV
JEC Composites Web TV is a platform where hundreds of videos have been spotted by JEC Group’s experts to present materials, processes, applications, business cases… All the content reflects the innovative and customizable solutions from the composites industry. On the JEC Composites Web TV you can also find pedagogic videos to better understand the composites benefits, and discover JEC Group events, programs, webinars and podcasts. Hereunder a selection of videos dedicated to Sports & Leisure:
2024 JEC Sports Summit
Discover the highlights of the Sports Summit and join us for an insightful exploration into the cutting-edge innovation shaping the futureof sport through composite materials:
JEC Composites Innovation Awards Ceremony 2024 – Sports & Leisure & Recreation (excl Maritime)
Discover the Sports & Leisure & Recreation (excl Maritime) category with the 3 finalists and the winner of the JEC Composites Innovation Awards!
Silbaerg Gmbh – Winner of the JEC Composites Innovation Awards 2024 – Category Sports, Leisure & Recreation
Jörg Kaufmann, silbaerg GmbH, Kay Kölzig, SachsenLeinen GmbH and Norbert Schramm, Circular MTC e.V., discuss their recent success at the JEC Composites Innovation Awards
