Ski Making Materials

Skis and ski jackets are some of the most important pieces of Ski Accessories. The materials and manufacturing process of skis are very complex, and the way and where materials are used in their manufacture, as well as seemingly insignificant subtle changes, can have a significant impact on the behavior and performance of the skis.

Catalog

7The Manufacturing Process

8Conclusion

9FAQ

10Extended Reading

Snowboard materials

The central structure of the Ski is the core and determines the Ski’s characteristics. The core is mainly made of laminated hardWood strips, Wood is used for the core because it helps to keep the shape, enables good shock absorption and has less resonance compared to plastic or foam
The glass fiber layer increases the stiffness of the board and ensures that the board does not deform.
Ski bases are made of polyethylene plastic P-Tex. The base material is usually followed by a number, such as sintered 2000, which is the molecular weight of the polyethylene.
The Edges of the Skis are made of stainless steel or steel and are secured with T-shaped inserts. The stainless steel inserts are built into the Ski to hold the holes.

Wood

Skis made of Wood are the ideal material because it is sturdy and long-lasting. It can be shaped, pressed, glued, combined with other Woods, and cut. The Wood has fairly long-lasting flex properties and keeps its strength. Additionally, the Wood core’s inherent damping qualities give the Skier a smooth ride. Manufacturing engineers must match each pair of cores with extreme precision when using Wood. The weight, strength, and other characteristics of the Wood must precisely match for the left and right Skis to behave similarly at high speeds.

Composite materials

A composite material is a substance that has two or more constituent substances. When two materials are combined to form a composite material, that composite shows unique characteristics that differ from the two original materials. A composite material made of cement and stone is concrete, which is usually stronger. Composites made of glass and plastic are called Fiberglass.

Fiberglass

Glass fiber is made of molten glass that has been extruded to create a material that resembles thread. It is simple to cut into any shape.

Most frequently, Fiberglass, Carbon fiber, or an epoxy resin is used for the Ski’s exterior. The base of the Ski is the area intended to make contact with the snow at the bottom. The most typical substance used to make the base of contemporary Skis is polyethylene. Additionally, polyethylene is easily broken down by UV light because of its chemical makeup. This is fixed by coating the Ski with wax after each use. To match the type of snow and temperature, wax manufacturers produce a variety of wax formulations.

Carbon

Chains made of Carbon atoms joined by Carbon make up Carbon fibers. You can twist these “Carbon filaments” together to make yarn. The yarns can then be woven together to create cloth. Furthermore, it is twice as hard as steel. Although Carbon fiber has superior qualities to glass fiber, it is more expensive by a factor of four to seven compared to glass fiber.

Aramid (Kevlar)

Aramids are synthetics of polymers. The polymers are catalyzed into solids that can be produced like yarn and woven into cloth. The fibers are very strong and Aramid can be used in Ski structures for similar purposes. It can provide strength and act as a damper.

Composite Layers

Below and above the core, multiple layers of composite material are arranged to provide torsional strength to the Ski. Torsional strength is the torsional strength from one side to the other that resists torsional forces across the width of the Ski. These layers affect the overall behavior and performance of the Skis.

A wide variety of materials are used in the composite layer – various Woods, various metals and alloys, Fiberglass and foam.

Foam was first introduced as a core material in the 1970s to produce Skis that were lighter than Wood-core Skis. Foam cores are easier to control in the manufacturing process and absorb vibration better than Wood. It has the added advantage of being cheaper than Wood. These cores are lighter in weight and retain the excellent tensile strength of aluminum, but are also more flexible than Wood-core cores.

Sidewalls

The sidewall is the area above the metal edge that contains the core end. Manufacturers typically pursue one of three designs: Sidewalls, caps and hybrids.

Sidewall or sandwich construction techniques involve the use of a hard polymer (e.g. ABS) to protect the core. Cap construction involves bringing the top layer down over the core. Hybrid or semi-cap construction uses both techniques.

Edges

Ski Edges are the metal that runs along the outside of the Ski and are used to edge into the snow when the Ski is tilted. If damaged, they may be more difficult to repair. Partial wrap covers the side cut on one side. Aluminum Edges have been added to the tip and tail areas. This creates a lighter Ski and edge that is easier to repair if damaged.

The Manufacturing Process

The first step in core production – lamination

In the first step, the strips of Wood (pictured here are cedar and poplar) are laid out in layers to be glued and compressed together. When the adhesive dries, they are cut lengthwise, which forms the core of the board.

In the second step, the shape of the board core is roughly estimated using a jig before being cut with a band saw, after which it is finely adjusted with a special lathe. The pre-cut Sidewalls are glued and clamped in a special vise before drying.

In the third step, a printed p-tex is used to measure the board shape and fix it with another fixture before the edge metal is fixed to the board in a bent shape. The bonding is then ensured by tapping with a hammer.

At the same time, the pattern of the bottom of the board is printed on paper and later embossed onto the bottom of the board by the heat transfer function of the pressing machine. After cooling, it can be used as a special protective film to protect the Ski during the subsequent production process.

The board is then perforated with holes for the binding nuts before being placed in the jig, and the board is again contoured by the planer (Camber or Rocker). Finally, the inserted nuts are glued into place by means of an adhesive. Once the glue on top of the Sidewalls is complete, the board can be sanded to the exact width by means of a planer.

After that, all the individual snowboard components are now “layered” together. Starting from the bottom and the Edges, each layer is evenly coated with epoxy resin. At the same time, the Fiberglass sheets are sandwiched like a sandwich between the bottom, core, and face of the board. At this stage, additional glass fiber or Carbon fiber strips can be strategically placed to gain additional strength and stiffness.
Lay-up — note that Carbon fiber strips have been added to the current layer
Lay-up — apply resin to the glass fibers

Once the “lay-up” is complete, the board is placed in a hot press with contoured abrasives on the bottom. The plate is held in the hot press and fixed as the epoxy resin solidifies under constant temperature and pressure. Finally, they are removed from the mold for precise adjustment.

Excess material on the board is removed by trimming through the band saw and guided by the metal edge.
Cutting off excess material
The edge of the board is belt sanded before the bottom of the board is sanded on a special sanding machine with different grits of sandpaper. This allows for the sanding of various defects on the Edges and the bonding of the board structure to the bottom of the board.

After that, find the position of the nut on the plate and use the tool to drill it out.

Next, before waxing the board, the Edges are sanded again by hand. Finally, the protective layer of the board is removed and a complete snowboard is born.

A complete snowboard is thus born

Conclusion

As you can see now, Skis are made up of many different components and materials, each of which can be manufactured using a variety of different materials, shapes, or techniques, and this affects the overall performance of the Skis.

Finally, by learning as much as you can about your equipment and how it works, you’ll be one step closer to becoming a master Skier!

FAQ