THE FIFA World Cup™ has been the pinnacle of global soccer ever since the first match was played in 1930. Early years had each host nation supplying their own match ball, resulting in major inconsistencies in quality and performance. Crafted from brown leather, they were also tough to spot on black-and-white TV. While Adidas’ creation… Read more »
THE MANZI Water Hydration System represents a recent breakthrough for South African sport as a sustainable approach that reduces single-use plastic waste during endurance events. A modular, high-flow refill solution designed specifically for endurance events, the MANZI Water Hydration System allows runners to refill quickly and efficiently during races, supporting consistent hydration without reliance on… Read more »
BACKING from machine supplier Plastic & Chemical Trading (P&CT) has helped propel two emerging canoeists to an impressive second-place finish at this year’s Dusi Canoe Marathon in KwaZulu-Natal. Msawenkosi Mtolo, from the Valley of a Thousand Hills, and Sbonelo Khwela from Shongweni, formed one of the standout partnerships in the race. Their success follows a… Read more »
THE 48th edition of the Dakar Rally in January, over nine days over 8,000kms starting from Port Yanbu on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia, will not only be remembered as one of the most gruelling, testing, challenging and puncture-fraught, but also for the fact that it produced extremely close results. From a South African… Read more »
PERFORMANCE or sustainability? For years, that’s been the choice facing athletic shoe designers, leaving the global footwear market at a crossroads. Long-time favourites, EVA midsoles, tick the boxes for cost and processability but fall short on rebound and recyclability. Athletes demand higher performance, while consumers increasingly expect sustainable products. For brands and OEMs, the challenge… Read more »
AS E-BIKE motors become more powerful and consumers demand smarter, quieter, and more sustainable mobility, material selection is critical to meeting performance and environmental goals. Among engineering plastics, Delrin® stands out as the industry benchmark for high-performance plastic gears – delivering strength, durability, and sustainability in one versatile material. The Delrin product family sets the… Read more »
THE collaboration between Xenia Materials and Vittoria Cycling Shoes started a few years ago, when Edoardo Vercelli sensed the possibility of substituting the prepreg epoxy matrix carbon – used in the high-quality cycling shoes’ soles – with XECARB® carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites. After winning in Grächen (CH) 2019, Leo Páez cycled to another outstanding… Read more »
THE Vekta aero-road bike is made using a specific lay-up process and 80% ultra-high modulus unidirectional carbon fibre. Reap Bikes, a UK-based manufacturer of carbon fibre bikes, has launched a new vehicle with a full monocoque frame and improved aerodynamics and stiffness. The Vekta aero-road bike is made using a specific lay-up process and 80%… Read more »
ONE of the world’s largest sportswear companies, ANTA collaborated with Teknor Apex to develop a high-dampening midsole construction incorporating Monprene® TPE for a new line of running shoes. The midsole is a thick layer between the insole and outsole that is typically composed of a soft cushioning material. The companies carried out 40 000 running… Read more »
WOODCAST is a lightweight biodegradable material made from wood and biopolymers, originally developed to replace the plaster casts traditionally used in hospitals. The material, invented by the Finnish high-tech company Onbone, proved to be so versatile that it is now used in a wide array of usage areas, one of them being sports. Injuries of… Read more »
COBRA International in Thailand, one of the world’s largest OEM manufacturers of composite goods for water sports, automotive, marine and civil engineering, is collaborating with Radinn to mass produce its new range of electric powered surfboards. Swedish innovators, Radinn, produce some of the fastest jetboards on the market. Originally launched in 2018, the production requirement… Read more »
ADIDAS is strengthening its commitment to tackling plastic waste with the reveal of Futurecraft.Loop – a 100% recyclable performance running shoe. Together with Parley for the Oceans, in 2015 adidas introduced the first performance footwear concept with an upper made entirely of yarns and filaments reclaimed and recycled from marine plastic waste and illegal deep-sea… Read more »
Fashion goes green with these minimalist plant based shoes SNEAKER aficionados are used to choosing between high tops and low tops, laces and Velcro. But how about a sneaker with a sole made from corn? Reebok is planning to unveil a completely compostable sneaker designed to not cause harm to the environment when it’s created,… Read more »
YOU may know that 75% of all Nike shoes and apparel now contain some recycled material. You may also know that Nike has diverted nearly 5 billion plastic bottles from landfills since 2012. But did you know that at least 12 of those bottles form the backbone for every one of Nike’s federation kits —… Read more »
Better protection for the horse, making the jobs of farriers a little easier By ERIN PUSTAY BEAVEN, online content editor for Rubber & Plastics News CONTINENTAL knows a thing or two about traction, grip and vibration control. And one of its latest innovations, the direct result of collaboration with German firm Turfcord GmbH, is helping… Read more »
LANXESS has decided to become a premium sponsor of the young eMotorsports Cologne team from TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences and support Formula Student – a design competition with more than 900 universities worldwide. This future has already begun for Formula Student: since 2009, the team of 35 students from eMotorsports Cologne has… Read more »
CFRTP composites from Covestro make mountain bikes safer LIGHTWEIGHT, highly resilient and ideally also attractive to look at: These are the demands that enthusiastic cyclists make on the components of their bikes today. The challenge: the synthetic resin-carbon fibre composites that are in great demand in this scene may be light and chic – but… Read more »
adidas ‘Telstar 18’ is the most advanced World Cup ball to date ALL eyes were again on the ball when 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia kicked off on 14 June. The ‘Telstar 18’ proudly continues the series of Official World Cup Balls adidas has produced since 1970, when the original Telstar with its iconic 32… Read more »
BASF’s Infinergy results in higher ball rebound with faster ball response MODERN day tennis players tend to play with more spin and as a result, hit the ball out of the top of the racket rather than the center. The disadvantage of this is players swing with more force to generate more power and spin…. Read more »
Make housing comfortable and energy efficient A RANGE of high-performance technology solutions powered by The Dow Chemical Company were used in several venues at the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. These included modular houses and the Olympic village. Dow’s solutions were applied to help reduce energy usage while making accommodations… Read more »
Premiere for new product at hockey field in Germany FOR the first time, synthetic sports floorings can be produced with carbon dioxide – which means less crude oil is needed as a raw material. The world’s first subfloor of this kind has now been opened in the hockey facility of a renowned sports club in… Read more »
