TPEs step up the game in extreme sports equipment

Extreme sports showcase the limitless reach of the mind and body, and not only appeal to thrill seekers and adventure-driven people, but also regular people who wish to unplug from their daily mundane routines, to explore beyond their comfort zones.  

The activities encompassing extreme sports range from cave diving, to jet skiing, surfing, skydiving and boxing, all of which involve a high degree of risk and speed.

The adrenaline rush attained from extreme sports is one reason why participation is growing and has driven demand for highly specialized sports equipment.

With exceptional properties to deliver durability, versatility, ease of coloring and soft-touch feel quality, thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are the right fit for improved functionalities and safety of use of sports equipment.

KRAIBURG TPE, a global TPE manufacturer of a wide range of thermoplastic elastomer products and custom solutions for multiple industries, offers high-quality custom engineered TPE compounds in the THERMOLAST® K series for sports equipment applications.

Best fit for sports equipment

KRAIBURG TPE’s THERMOLAST® K series is most fitting for sports equipment applications, with the end user benefitting from the specialized fit, feel and look of the end products.

There are selected series in the THERMOLAST® K have low temperature resistance down to -40°C.  The compounds have excellent mechanical properties too.

Moreover, the THERMOLAST® K scratch resistance series features water and weather resistant properties, making it suitable for use in sports equipment applied in extreme weather conditions.

The good abrasion properties of the series are important for equipment like snow rockets hand handle and ski stick grips.

Furthermore, the compound’s hardness ranges from supersoft (<10 shore A) up to 50 shore D; and it has features of durability and versatility allowing it to be widely used in extreme sports equipment.

The THERMOLAST® K compounds are suitable for use in various parts of sports equipment, such as surfboard pads, mouth guards used for boxing, helmets, knee pads, dampers for ski binding, head lamp seals, goggle strips, etc.

Processing advantages

Apart from its advantageous properties, the THERMOLAST® K series has been optimized for the extrusion process, such as film extrusion. It can also be processed through injection molding, processing a wide range of thermoplastic materials such as PP, ABS, PC, PC/ABS, PCT, ASA, SAN, PMMA, PET and others.

The environmentally-friendly series of compounds are free of latex, PVC, phthalates and heavy metals and are recyclable, too.

Overall, product designers will marvel the flexibility and versatility of the compounds that allow for ergonomic and complex designs of sports equipment parts. The consistent colorability add to the enhanced appearance the TPEs provide to end products.