Surfboard maker wind CAD award
An
Autodesk product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Jun 27, 2008
42 Surfboards uses Autodesk Inventor software to create its line of high-performance surfboards that are shaped entirely from sustainably harvested local woods.
Autodesk has named 42 Surfboards, an Oregon-based manufacturer of classic surfboards, the Autodesk Inventor of the Month for June 2008.
42 Surfboards uses Autodesk Inventor software to create its line of high-performance surfboards that are shaped entirely from sustainably harvested local woods.
By avoiding materials like foam and balsa wood, which have a large carbon footprint, 42 Surfboards provides surf enthusiasts with a green alternative that reduces the environmental impact of the sport.
The Inventor of the Month programme recognises the most innovative design and engineering advancements made using products from the Autodesk Inventor software product family.
A digital prototype is a realistic 3D model of the entire end product, used to virtually optimise and validate a product before it is built to reduce the necessity of constructing physical prototypes.
Historically, foam and balsa wood have been the only materials that major surfboard manufacturers could use to achieve the proper density ratios for their boards.
Unfortunately, neither of these materials is very strong: foam and balsa wood boards often break within the first few months of use and need to be replaced.
What's more, both materials raise environmental concerns.
Foam, which is a petroleum-based product, has a highly toxic manufacturing process, while balsa wood needs to be transported from South America to other parts of the world, making it prohibitive from a carbon-impact standpoint.
Hardwood is much stronger than these materials and has been used by individuals for centuries to fashion surfboards, but it has the disadvantage of being very heavy, which affects the speed and manoeuvrability of the board and its surfer.
Autodesk Inventor enables 42 Surfboards to create a new generation of wooden surfboards by taking the strength of woods like spruce and poplar and giving it the lightness and performance of lighter materials like foam and balsa wood.
The key is Inventor software's solid modeling functionality, which enables 42 Surfboards to digitally shape a piece of hardwood and create a wooden surface exactly as thick or thin as needed.
By precisely shaping the wood, 42 Surfboards minimises the total weight while maximising strength, creating a sturdy board that is very fast and highly manoeuvreable.
"Inventor is the difference between being able to do what we do and only being able to imagine it", said Lars Bergstrom, President of 42 Surfboards.
"With Inventor's solid modeling capabilities, we are able to be precise on the order of thousandths of an inch in designing our boards and build them to exact specifications".
"We would not be able to get anywhere near the tolerance levels we require and we would not be able to use locally grown and sustainably harvested wood for our surfboards, without solid modeling".
Digital Prototyping enables 42 Surfboards to rapidly explore new product ideas and designs without the time and expense of creating physical prototypes.
As a result, the company now offers seven different 100% wood surfboard models within its product lineup.
Each model is designed to last a lifetime, helping to reverse the "disposable board" culture brought about by decades of inexpensive but fragile foam and balsa wood boards.
"42 Surfboards saw a market need for an environmentally friendly surfboard and Inventor gave them the technology to make that vision a reality", said Robert "Buzz" Kross, Senior Vice President of Autodesk Manufacturing Solutions.
"It is a pleasure to name 42 Surfboards as our Inventor of the Month".
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Contact Autodesk
Tel +44 1252 456789
Other Autodesk stories
-
Design software passes 800,000 mark
A growing number of component suppliers are now using Inventor 2009 to design and publish their products on Autodesk Inventor Supplier Content Library. -
Design software bridges language gaps
Duvale will use Autodesk Inventor to instruct those on the manufacturing side of the project how to put together the products. -
Digital prototypes short cut new aero engine
Adept Airmotive used Autodesk Inventor to develop a 240kW general aviation engine with a compact design that offers low vibration levels and high structural integrity. -
Innovation beats efficiency
Best-in-class manufacturers make fewer prototypes says Mike Lucas of Autodesk Manufacturing. -
Software chosen for sports car design
Lengthening waiting lists for the cars have led Westfield Sportscars to consider ways to minimise lead times.
Articles by product category
- Consultancy and Services (903)
- Machine Building (4,513)
-
Engineering Design Software (6,177)
- Engineering Design Software (12)
- 2D CAD software (200)
- 3D CAD software (1,157)
- FEA and structural analysis software (369)
- Fluid, thermal, noise, vibration software (334)
- Simulation, modelling, validation software (914)
- Rendering, visualisation, styling software (195)
- Materials design and moulding design software (151)
- Process, instrumentation, automation software (257)
- Electrical design software (164)
- Publishing and documentation software (229)
- Maths, charting, statistics, QA software (317)
- Data, document management software (310)
- CAM, CNC, production management software (568)
- File conversion software, data capture (351)
- PLM and collaboration software (649)
-
Drives, Motors and Controls (3,360)
- Drives, Motors and Controls (1)
- Precision Motors and Gears (410)
- Industrial Drives/Controls (1,276)
- Linear Drives and Motors (114)
- Industrial Motors (497)
- Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls (1,060)
- Small Mechanical Components, Joining, Tools (1,975)
-
Control and Instrumentation (5,026)
- Plantwide control (1,324)
- Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications (1,174)
- Smaller-Sized PLCs (386)
- CNC and Motion Controllers (184)
- Mid-range and Large PLCs (201)
- Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power (561)
- HMIs/Operator Interfaces (294)
- Logic Controllers, Timers and Relays (96)
- Cabling, Conduit, Signal Conditioning (806)
-
Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (5,458)
- Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (1)
- Data acquisition Software and Communications (494)
- Data Acquisition Hardware and PC I/O Boards (472)
- Electrical and Electronic Testing, PAT Equipment (630)
- Form/co-ordinate, optical, vision instruments (702)
- Gauges, Indicators and Instruments (440)
- Data loggers (422)
- Materials testing equipment (421)
- Telecomms/network test equipment, software etc (154)
- Testing and Calibration Services and Information (500)
- Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment (1,222)
-
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4,158)
- Batteries, chargers and circuit protection (555)
- Connectors, Terminals, Busbars, Slip Rings (678)
- Enclosures and Equipment Cooling Fans (709)
- Knobs, Handles and Enclosure Hardware (420)
- PCs and Embedded Systems (798)
- Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies (369)
- Electrical and Electronic Components (629)
-
Materials and Processing (2,962)
- Materials and Processing (5)
- Materials and components (2,214)
- Rapid Prototyping (458)
- Materials processing and testing (285)
-
Engineering Industry News, Resources (6,091)
- Engineering Industry News, Resources (4)
- Engineering Business News, Views (388)
- Engineering Exhibitions, Events (562)
- Engineering Conferences (425)
- Engineering Seminars (399)
- Engineering Industry Developments, Awards (633)
- Engineering Guides, Newsletters (348)
- Engineering Recruitment, Employment (219)
- Engineering Training Courses (433)
- Engineering Education, Resources, Standards (838)
- Engineering Industry Reports, Surveys (597)
- Electronic Resources for Engineers (278)
- Health and Safety Legislation (402)
- Health and Safety Strategy, Risk Assessment (113)
- Health and Safety Consultancy, Software (175)
- Health and Safety Events, Training, News (277)
-
Powertrain Design (3,593)
- Powertrain Design (2)
- Bearings (939)
- Chains and belts (326)
- Gears, brakes, couplings and engines (1,438)
- Hydraulic Components (469)
- Lubricants (418)
-
Capital Equipment (3,387)
- Capital Equipment (1)
- Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment (468)
- Production line blowers and fans (62)
- Compressors and Air Treatment (510)
- Electronics Manufacturing, Tools, Instruments (192)
- Electrical hardware (131)
- Machinery and Production Equipment (1,093)
- Robotics, Handling and Storage (930)
-
Sensors (7,076)
- Sensors (8)
- Accelerometers and Vibration Sensors (425)
- Loadcells, Force Sensors, Torque Sensors (699)
- Pressure sensors (620)
- Flowmeters and Flow Sensors (618)
- Level Sensors and Leak Detectors (527)
- Linear Position Sensors (399)
- Rotary Position, Tilt and Angular Sensors (546)
- Proximity Sensors (700)
- Gas, Chemical, Radiation, Magnetic Sensors (284)
- Humidity and Environmental Sensors (152)
- Temperature sensors (612)
- Vision and Colour Sensors (1,383)
- Barcode Sensors (103)
- Valves, Pumps, Process Hardware (3,622)
