ADDIT·ION

FIRST 3D-PRINTED SNOWBOARD BINDING DEVELOPED WITH GENERATIVE DESIGN

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Image courtesy of ADDIT-ION

Lighter, stiffer, stronger: The next generation of snowboard bindings shreds with generative design

A product design studio and an action-sports company set out to create the ultimate snowboard binding: strong, stiff, yet as lightweight as possible. Using generative design technology, Barcelona-based ADDIT·ION and Nidecker Group’s NOW Bindings designed a snowboard binding that combines maximum stiffness with the lowest possible mass, while reducing production time to meet a tight deadline. The team built a load case that simulated the stress that bindings undergo during aggressive maneuvers. Applying generative design technology in Fusion 360, they compared dozens of possible outcomes and came up with the ultimate option for peak performance.

Generative design is helping to push the boundaries of durability and weight reduction

Snowboard bindings do much more than simply attach feet to boards. They transfer subtle body movements to the equipment, making it possible for boarders to perform aggressive carves and turns. But to work effectively, bindings must be light enough to execute precision maneuvers, yet strong enough to withstand the stress of tough landings.

Using generative design to develop a new and optimized snowboard binding.

ADDIT·ION is pushing the boundaries of weight reduction with generative design; Courtesy of ADDIT·ION

ADDIT·ION additive manufacturing designer Oriol Massanés Flores, an avid snowboarder himself, was eager to optimize a binding design that combined maximum stiffness with the lowest possible mass—and was strong enough to perform as a carbon-fiber binding would.

“We created the initial snowboard binding design as an exploration exercise—could we push the loads and stress while preserving aesthetics?” says Flores. “We realized generative design could have the biggest impact on designing bindings for fast turning. You really need stiff bindings, and generative design is great at helping design stiff parts.”

The speed of generative design and 3D printing open new horizons for product development

The generative design process started with a load case emulating the stresses on snowboard bindings during a boarder’s carving and turning. Using generative design in Fusion 360, the team created the ultimate shape for the binding—then analyzed the combined impact of dozens of materials

Generative design and additive manufacturing helped to create new snowboard binding that is 25% lighter than the original one

Bindings optimized with generative design are 25% lighter than the original design Courtesy of ADDIT·ION

Their goal was to find materials and approaches that could deliver the strength and stiffness of carbon fiber, a traditional snowboard material that adds significant cost. “If you can test and simulate many outcomes, you can find ways to produce a better product that more consumers can afford,” Flores says. Generative design simulations revealed that removing material from the original design in some places, and adding it in others, could boost overall strength while optimizing for lightness and stiffness.

Utilizing generative design also highlighted the potential for producing customized bindings to fit each boarder’s foot and boarding style— creating new possibilities for the team. “The speed and freedom of generative design and additive manufacturing open up countless new horizons in the development of new products,” says Daniel Schmäh, R&D director for snowboard bindings at Nidecker

Generative design helps reduce weight of the snowboard binding by 25% lighter compared to the original one

The new bindings optimized with generative design, then additively manufactured, are 25% lighter than the original design—and strong enough to perform as a carbon-fiber binding would.

Using generative design technology, iteration on the new binding took just one week, compared to about three weeks when using traditional design processes. The faster design cycle meant ADDIT·ION could meet Nidecker’s tight deadline for unveiling the binding at a key trade show.

“What comes out of the generative design process is already proven,” says Flores. “The product simulation is built in. It can’t break. You know that what you print is going to work, and the workflow is so much faster. That is priceless.”

The speed and freedom of generative design and additive manufacturing open up countless new horizons in the development of new products.

—Daniel Schmäh, R&D Director Snowboard Bindings, Nidecker Group

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