Lightweight Strong Materials In A Composite Surfboard

Lightweight Strong Materials In A Composite Surfboard The composite surfboard is a common place in the sport today. Ever since the introduction of fiberglass composites after World War II, the surfboard industry was truly one of the first to embrace composites. Prior to fiber reinforced composites, surfboards were manufactured out of wood and could weigh over 100 lbs. Today, a composite surfboard the same size (10 feet) might weigh less then 10 lbs. To shed this enormous amount of weight, surfboards took advantage of 3 key materials: Foam Core Polyurethane foam became the core material of choice for surfboards. It is lightweight, provides thickness, and provides buoyancy. The foam core of a composite surfboard is sandwiched between FRP skins and creates the stiffness and structure of the surfboard. Often, a stringer of wood is bonded in the center of the board to provide increased rigidity, much like an I-beam. The surfboard foam industry was dominated by the company Clark Foam up until 2005, at which time the owner decided to shut down with no prior warning. Today, the foam core for composite surfboards is primarily polyurethane foam. However, expanded polystyrene (EPS) is being used more often as the use of epoxy resins increases. Regardless of the foam used it almost always closed-cell, so that it does not absorb moisture. Resin Thermosetting resins have been key to the success of the composite surfboard. Even when boards were made of wood, resins and coatings were used to help prevent the boards soaking in water. As resin technology continues to improve, boards are able to become stronger and lighter weight. The most common resins used in composite surfboards are polyester resins. This is primarily because polyester resin is inexpensive. Additionally, resin manufacturers have perfected their polyester surfboard resins so that they are easy to work with and are crystal clear. It is important that the resins used are water-clear, because a surfboard is as much a work of art as it is a functional piece of equipment. As surfboards age, they turn yellow from the UV rays. Hence, UV resistance is an important factor to the resins used today. With the advancements in resin technology, it is no surprise composite surfboards are being manufactured with epoxy. Epoxy has no VOC emissions during the manufacturing process, and it has much higher strength, fatigue, and impact resistance properties. However, the only current downside to using epoxy is, these boards tend to turn yellow faster then polyester boards. Although, this may soon change with improved formulations. Fiberglass Fiberglass is the structural backbone to surfboards. The fiberglass reinforcement provides the structure and strength to the board. Most commonly, lightweight woven fiberglass cloth is used as the reinforcement. Usually, it is between 4 and 8 ounce fabric. (Ounces per square yard). Often more then one layer is used. Currently, the weaves used are evenly balanced with equal amounts of fiberglass running from nose to tail, and rail to rail. However, engineers are designing boards with different amounts of fiber running in different directions. This provides the strength and the rigidity where required, without adding much additional weight. Future Of The Composite Surfboard Surfers are known for being progressive, and with this comes experimentation with different shapes and materials. Boards today are embracing composite technology and new materials. The composite surfboards of the future are incorporating fibers such as Kevlar, carbon fiber, and Innegra. The various properties of the many composite reinforcements available can allow the surfer or engineer, to tweak the properties to help create the dream board. It also makes a surfboard extremely cool looking to have unique materials and construction. The various properties of the many composite reinforcements available can allow the surfer or engineer, to tweak the properties to help create the ultimate surfboard. It also makes a surfboard extremely cool looking to have unique materials and construction. Not only are the materials being used changing, but the method of manufacturing is evolving as well. CNC machines are commonly being used to precisely machine out the foam core. This creates boards that are almost perfectly symmetrical and exact. At first, the fear of mass production brought concerns of removing the soul from the sport. Meaning, the traditional method of hand shaping boards is being reduced to the job of a computer. However, the opposite seems to be true. Custom boards, which are truly works of art, seem to be as popular as ever. And with composites, creativity in methods and materials to laminate boards seems to give an endless opportunity to customize and personalize boards. The future of the composite surfboard is bright. In the 1950s the use of fiberglass was revolutionary. The new pioneers will continue to push the envelope and will embrace the next generation of composite materials and processing techniques.

Are you guilty of sending those dreaded generic LinkedIn invitations Dont do it!

Are you guilty of sending those dreaded generic LinkedIn invitations Dont do it! At a recent social event, I met a masters degree student who wanted to connect with me on LinkedIn. I found her profile on my handy mobile app and handed her my phone so she could confirm I had the correct person. Before I knew what was happening, she had pushed the â€Å"Connect† button. I had unwittingly sent out (gasp!) a cookie cutter invitation on LinkedIn. I’ll tell you a secret: I once did this myself. That big blue Connect button is just too tempting!! The generic LinkedIn invitation is a pet peeve of most LinkedIn experts and business people on LinkedIn, prompting such snarkily written articles as Why I Didn’t Accept Your LinkedIn Request. While I realize that following instructions will not in a million years prevent you from ever sending out a generic LinkedIn message again, I hope they will at least decrease the occurrence of this social gaffe. Initiating a Connection the Right Way Prior to LinkedIns recent interface update, it was easy to mistakenly send a generic â€Å"I’d like to join your LinkedIn network† message from your desktop app. With the new LinkedIn, you get a nudge not to go down this road. After clicking on the Connect button you’ll have a choice of whether to Add a note or Send now. Click Add a note and you’ll have this nice blank box to fill in: Write your note (300 characters) and send! If you don’t choose to add a note and accidentally hit â€Å"Send now,† your connection will get an email that looks something that looks like this: What would someones incentive be for accepting such a generic invitation? Most people won’t. How to Send a Mobile Invitation the Right Way! When I deliver LinkedIn workshops, I always make a point of teaching people how to send a customized, personal invitation from their phones, so as not to send the dreaded â€Å"I’d like to join your LinkedIn network† canned message. I give careful instructions and invite people to practice by connecting with me. Nine times out of 10, someone in the audience pipes up, â€Å"Oops! I just sent you a generic invitation by mistake!† Despite the potential futility of doing so, I will now explain how to personalize your invitations on your mobile device. To send a customized invitation via iPhone or Android, go to your contacts profile and click the 3-dot †¦ button in the upper right (tie your hands behind your back and do NOT click CONNECT!! LinkedIn will not warn you on your phone that you’re about to send a generic invitation): From the dropdown menu, click Personalize Invite (note this menu might vary depending on what operating system you’re using): And write your message. On some Android devices, after going to a member’s profile, you may need to tap either the Menu or the More button, then Customize Invite, write your message and Send. What Should I Say? If you want to make a connection and youre stuck on what to say, you can say something about someone you know in common, or about a place you used to work together or where they work now. Perhaps mention a conversation they started or participated in a LinkedIn group. Or maybe you have a potential work project for them. Be friendly and let them know you are human! Fixing Mistakes If you accidentally connect with someone without including a message, you can always cancel the invitation or, if you miss the window for cancellation, you may be able to send another message with a customized note later. Note that this second solution will only work for people who accept non-InMail messages, or if you are able to send InMail! To rescind your invitation before it’s accepted, click on the My Network tab: Next, click â€Å"Manage all† in the upper right-hand corner: On the resulting page, click on Sent and you’ll get a list of pending invitations. You can click on Withdraw to cancel that message you sent accidentally. Practice! Now that you know the basics about LinkedIn invitations, heres a chance to practice Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn! If we’re already connected, find someone else you want to add to your network and send them a nice message. You’ll both be glad you did. Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save