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Leisure

The industries of leisure, sport and recreation may be wrongly considered of less importance when it comes to materials selection for optimum performance than other heavy industries within engineering. However, this is a most unforgivable misconception when we consider that the international leisure, sports and recreation industries are worth tens of billions of pounds to the global economy each year, not to mention that the competition and engagement aspects give all citizens the ability to support a team, watch live action and emulate their sporting icons by buying and using the same equipment which their heroes use.

 

Key considerations needed to be employed when selecting materials for products in this industry are; strength - most sports equipment is subject to very high stresses, formability - sports consumer products must be formed into the optimal shapes to ensure maximum performance, corrosion resistance - many activities take place in outdoor and marine situations, so the ability to withstand the elements and salt water are imperitive.

The materials and applications on this page are listed solely as a guide and do not reflect the limit of our supply, or the uses of said materials. If you have a specific application for which you need particular materials, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Aluminium in the Leisure Industry

Aluminium-in-Leisure

Uses

  • Bicycles frames and components

  • Frames for racquet sports

  • Lacrosse sticks

  • Ice hockey sticks

  • Ice skate chassis

  • Fishing reels

  • RC Car Chassis

  • Caribiners for climbing

  • Scuba cylinders

  • Go-Kart components, including engine and components

  • Motorcross bike components

  • Skateboard trucks

  • Consumer goods, including laptop chassis, mobile telephones, watches etc.

  • Cookware

Characteristics

  • Straightforward to form into complex shapes, extruded, rolled, drawn and joined

  • Excellent corrosion resistance

  • High strength to weight ratio

  • Readily anodised for further corrosion/damage protection and colour accessorising

  • Very lightweight

  • Low modulus of elasticity

Grades

  • 1050, 1060, 1100, 1200, & 1235

  • 3004

  • 4015 & 4925

  • 5083 & 5154

  • 6061, 6063, 6082, & 6086

  • 7012, 7046, & 7075

Leisure Aluminium

Nickel in the Leisure Industry

Nickel-in-Leisure

Uses

  • Nickel-plated consumer goods

  • Rechargable Lithium-Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt-Oxide batteries I.e. those used in E-bikes

Characteristics

  • Excellent corrosion resistance to the elements and chemicals

  • High strength

  • Superior hardness, meaning that Nickel-plated goods keep their aesthetic over time

  • Good electrical conductivity

  • A useful alloy in Sports, Leisure and Recreation goods made from Stainless Steel 

Grades

  • Ni-Co

  • 600 & 625

  • 718

Leisure Nickel

Steel in the Leisure Industry

Steel-in-Leisure

Uses

  • Bicycle frames, forks and components

  • Climbing caribiners, cabling, expansion bolts, axes etc.

  • Hunting knives

  • Gun and rifle barrels and components

  • Fishing reels and hooks

  • Consumer goods

  • Ice skate blades

  • Gym equipment

  • Scuba cylinders

  • Golf clubs

  • Ice skate blades

  • Cooking equipment

Characteristics

  • Relatively inexpensive

  • Stainless Steels have good corrosion resistance - useful for outdoor pastimes, in addition to proven plating methods

  • Good strength for load bearing roles/activities

  • Broad range of alloys to select from for different applications

  • Straightforward to shape, machine, cut and join

  • Good stiffness

  • Most abundant material used in Leisure and Recreation

Grades

  • 304 & 316

Leisure Steel

Titanium in the Leisure Industry

Titanium-in-Leisure

Uses

  • Bicycle frames and components

  • Diving knives

  • Cutlery for camping

  • Golf club faces and heads

  • Fishing reels & line

  • Climbing caribiners & bolts

  • Consumer goods

  • Skis

  • Ski poles

  • Tennis racquets

  • Hiking equipment

Characteristics

  • High strength to weight ratio

  • Excellent corrosion resistance - suitable for outdoor/marine pastimes

  • Relatively hard, making it difficult to scratch/damage

  • Very high specific strength

  • Low modulus of elasticity

Grades

  • Grade 5 & Grade 9

Leisure Titanium

Carbon Fibre in the Leisure Industry

Carbon-Fibre-in-Leisure

Uses

  • Golf club shafts

  • Fishing Rods

  • Bicycle frames, forks and components

  • Surfboards

  • Consumer goods

  • Skis and ski poles

  • Snowboards

  • Racquet sports frames

  • Ice hockey sticks

  • Rowing hulls and oars

  • Kayaks and paddles Crash helmets

  • Pool cues

  • Wind surfing boards and masts

Characteristics

  • Straightforward to form into complex shapes

  • Excellent corrosion resistance for outdoor and marine use

  • Very high strength

  • Low modulus of elasticity giving excellent stiffness

  • Unrivalled low weight

  • Aesthetically pleasing - often left in as-lacquered form

Grades

  • 3K

  • 6K

  • 9K

  • 12K

  • Hybrid

Leisure Carbon Fibre

Aramids in the Leisure Industry

Aramids-in-Leisure

Uses

  • Crash Helmets

  • Sails

  • Tyres

  • Boat hulls

  • Yacht sails

  • Motorbike gloves and racesuits

Characteristics

  • Straightforward to form into complex shapes

  • Excellent corrosion resistance

  • High strength

  • Very lightweight

  • Fire retardent

  • Resistant to electrical conductivity

Grades

  • Kevlar®

  • Nomex®

Leisure Aramids
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