Materials Engineering and Manufacturing of Sports Equipment

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Advanced materials and the associated manufacturing processes have led to significant performance advances in a range of sports. This course will examine the science behind the materials utilized in advanced sports equipment and how the equipment is manufactured. Properties of wood, metals and composites will be reviewed and compared. Production of carbon and glass fibers will be discussed. Concepts in materials selection (Ashby diagrams) will be introduced. Advanced materials that have been utilized in sports equipment including shape memory alloys and piezoelectrics will be examined. Specific examples of sports equipment development where materials have revolutionized performance will be studied in detail, including tennis rackets, golf clubs, downhill skis, vaulting poles and running shoes. The ethics of the use of ever improving equipment will also be discussed. At the end of the semester students will present review studies on other advanced sports equipment of their choosing (e.g. swim suits, baseball bats, golf balls, etc).