Next phase sees manufacturers start to test realigned carbon fibre tape in sports equipment
The Demonstration Project for carbon fibre circularity has now moved into the testing phase with the four sports equipment manufacturers that form part of the Alliance, starting to build prototype equipment with AFFT, the product name for the realigned Carbon Fibre tape that has been made from end-of-life carbon fibre sports products.
The Carbon Fibre Circular Alliance marked World Environment Day by confirming that the reclamation step of carbon fibres from end-of-life components has been successfully completed. These are now being realigned into unidirectional tapes using AFFT (Aligned Fibre Formable Technology), that equipment partners Wilson, SCOTT Sports, OneWay and Starboard will be using to manufacture prototypes over the coming months.
Wilson, the US-based 100-year-old manufacturer of rackets and sporting goods, has already started testing their batch of AFFT tape, made from the fibres of a broken racket, to build a 50% recycled racket and initial results are very encouraging with the racket specifications within normal ranges.
Bill Severa, Global Innovation Director R & D – Racquet Technology at Wilson comments: “What an exciting project to be involved with. This week we prototyped a tennis racket with 50% recycled carbon fibre. We just started play testing this racket with excellent results and we are very excited about the future working with Lineat and the CFCA.”
SCOTT Sports, the Swiss-based producer of bicycles, winter equipment and sportswear, will be building a ski prototype over the summer made from realigned fibres from a SCOTT Sports bicycle frame. OneWay, the alpine sports company, will be using AFFT to build and test a ski pole, while Starboard, the manufacturer of windsurf and paddle boards, will be building a paddle blade with the realigned fibres from a mast.
“We have been delighted with the response to Carbon Fibre Circular Alliance’s Demonstration Project. With the first step in the project now completed, we have started working with manufacturers to use the re-aligned fibre tapes to build and test on actual sport equipment. We are very excited on the future opportunities that this offers both the sports and commercial sectors in general, opening up a true circularity solution for carbon fibre. Later this year we will be able to start producing the unidirectional tape on a bigger scale with our automated AFFT machine at our new site in Filton,” Comments Gary Owen, CEO at Lineat Composites.
In parallel, the Alliance will be assessing all elements involved in the manufacture of AFFT to ensure that the process follows a strict circularity model from equipment collection, breakdown and reclamation of carbon fibre equipment to the production processes for the AFFT tape.
“Our ambition with the Alliance is that we work with Sports Federations, manufacturers, and advisors to ensure that we operate within a circular economy model. With sport already the third largest user of carbon fibre, and this due to increase, particularly in high performance sport, in the coming years, we need to apply a circularity mindset.
We are very grateful for the support from the equipment manufacturers that form part of this Alliance. With this year’s World Environment Day theme of ‘Only One Earth’, it is only by working collectively that we can make a real change and address the real challenge of end-of-life carbon fibre.” Comments Dee Caffari, Chair of the World Sailing Trust, the charitable organisation that is running the Alliance with its partners from the IOC, IBU, ITF, World Sailing and UCI.
Manufacturers or industry bodies interested in hearing more about the Alliance, and how they can get involved, should contact Victoria Low at the World Sailing Trust.
