A Game Changer: Crafting the Future of Hockey Gear with AM
08/15/23 • 28 min
Additive manufacturing (AM) popularity is growing rapidly within the consumer product and sporting goods application space. This series examines the AM innovations that are transforming industries, in this case, sporting goods. Safety, stamina, and grit are all enhanced by precise equipment designs that provide a perfect fit for professional and recreational athletes. AM is the only technology that can deliver custom designs at the fast pace that sporting goods suppliers require.
In this episode, Host Fabian Alefeld is joined by Engineering Manager for Advanced Product Development at Bauer Hockey, Thierry Krick. Thierry and the team at Bauer use EOS technology to design and produce protective equipment and customized products for hockey players. Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Cale Makar recently won MVP while wearing a custom Bauer hockey helmet, made in part with industrial 3D printing.
Comments about the show or wish to share your AM journey? Contact us at [email protected]. The Additive Snack Podcast is brought to you by EOS.
Key Takeaways:
[3:08] Why is AM suitable for designing high-tech sports equipment?
[4:01] Thierry explains how a small piece of foam sparked a complete manufacturing revolution at Bauer Hockey.
[10:45] Why Thierry chose powder technology to be the production path for the future at Bauer.
[15:43] From R&D to production, Thierry shares the many different assets involved in creating a viable sports helmet.
[20:29] Thierry reveals the hockey helmet and explains how each helmet is fitted to an athlete's head.
[25:24] How athletes can get their own Perfect Fit Helmet from Bauer.
Additive manufacturing (AM) popularity is growing rapidly within the consumer product and sporting goods application space. This series examines the AM innovations that are transforming industries, in this case, sporting goods. Safety, stamina, and grit are all enhanced by precise equipment designs that provide a perfect fit for professional and recreational athletes. AM is the only technology that can deliver custom designs at the fast pace that sporting goods suppliers require.
In this episode, Host Fabian Alefeld is joined by Engineering Manager for Advanced Product Development at Bauer Hockey, Thierry Krick. Thierry and the team at Bauer use EOS technology to design and produce protective equipment and customized products for hockey players. Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Cale Makar recently won MVP while wearing a custom Bauer hockey helmet, made in part with industrial 3D printing.
Comments about the show or wish to share your AM journey? Contact us at [email protected]. The Additive Snack Podcast is brought to you by EOS.
Key Takeaways:
[3:08] Why is AM suitable for designing high-tech sports equipment?
[4:01] Thierry explains how a small piece of foam sparked a complete manufacturing revolution at Bauer Hockey.
[10:45] Why Thierry chose powder technology to be the production path for the future at Bauer.
[15:43] From R&D to production, Thierry shares the many different assets involved in creating a viable sports helmet.
[20:29] Thierry reveals the hockey helmet and explains how each helmet is fitted to an athlete's head.
[25:24] How athletes can get their own Perfect Fit Helmet from Bauer.
Previous Episode
From the Court to the Lab: The Story of the Airless Prototype Basketball
Additive manufacturing (AM) is not only a tool to enhance the performance of applications and create more agile supply chains – it’s also becoming a tool to increase brand value and awareness. Today, we dive into the story of the innovative engineering and viral marketing of the first ever 3D printed, Airless Prototype Basketball developed by Wilson Sporting Goods.
Host Fabian Alefeld is joined by Dr. Nadine Lippa, Innovation Manager at Wilson Sporting Goods, and Tyler Webb, Sports Marketer and Co-founder of Uncle Charlie. Nadine, the brilliant mind who led the product development of Wilson’s Airless Prototype Basketball, shares behind-the-scenes moments from the project’s origin to meeting Shaquille O’Neal and Mark Cuban courtside. Tyler, the creator of the viral video that sent ripples across the internet, shares how he made the Airless Prototype Basketball the most-seen additive manufacturing application ever created.
Comments about the show or wish to share your AM journey? Contact us at [email protected]. The Additive Snack Podcast is brought to you by EOS.
Key Takeaways:
[1:27] Nadine describes what it felt like to be courtside at the NBA Dunk Contest when her 3D printed Airless Prototype Basketball was revealed.
[6:31] Wilson’s additive manufacturing journey didn’t begin with a basketball; Nadine shares some history.
[9:38] Nadine explains the complex process her team used to turn a polymer into a high-performance basketball and the biggest challenges the team faced.
[16:20] How did Wilson’s marketing efforts go viral to ignite a trend of combining additive manufacturing and sports?
[26:24] Tyler shares his thoughts about when he first saw Wilson’s Airless Prototype Basketball and what he sees as the future impact of additive in sports.
[35:49] Tyler explains how 3D printed products like the airless basketball can improve safety and performance in sports.
Next Episode
Reinventing Safety: Helmets, AM Tech, and Blunt Trauma
Additive manufacturing’s (AM) role in the groundbreaking area of enhancing athlete safety through new design freedoms or on-the-spot custom polymer pad printing is nothing short of remarkable. Whether it's a helmet, a knee pad, or even the shoes on a player's feet, the sports equipment of tomorrow is being revolutionized today with AM.
To unravel the intricacies of this fascinating subject, Host Fabian Alefeld is joined by the Professor & Director School of Kinesiology & Nutrition at the University of Southern Mississippi, Dr. Scott Piland. Scott is an expert at the intersection of sports and technology. He has been on the front lines of research and development, discovering how AM is sculpting the future of player safety devices and other crucial equipment.
Comments about the show or wish to share your AM journey? Contact us at [email protected]. The Additive Snack Podcast is brought to you by EOS.
Key Takeaways:
[1:02] Scott explains his journey from shoe salesperson to athletic trainer to a respected sports safety and AM material integrator.
[7:24] Scott shares his thoughts on the future role of AM in kinesiology and sports sciences.
[14:13] The benefits AM offers to sports equipment designers to transform sport safety devices.
[21:27] How multidisciplinary groups use AM as a vehicle to innovate and transform a wide range of industries.
[26:51] Scott shares real-life applications of AM in sports and the long-term user benefits of technological enhancements.
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