Surfboards the detail

ImprovementsManufacturingMaterial properties

Function & Material

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A surfboard in terms of its function and the materials from which it is made.

A surfboard is a long, relatively light yet strong platform used in the sport of surfing. A typical surfboard is about 46-61 cm wide, 183-305 cm long, and 4-10 cm thick. It has a lightweight, buoyant core covered with a hard shell. The surfboard goes back to ancient Hawaii were it was first made of wood from the local Koa trees. They were carved and shaped by hand, then stained and finished using the natural juices and oils of plants. They were often over 5m in length and were very heavy. Balsa wood was also later used due to significant weight advantage. [1]Today surfboards are made from polyurethane or polystyrene foam covered with layers of fiberglass, polyester or epoxy resin. This results in a surfboard that is light, strong and maneuverable. Fiberglass has also been included in the latest developments of surfboards. [2]The addition of fins on the bottom rear of the board to improve directional stability as well as improvements in materials, shape and finishes are but some of the ways in which surfboards have improved over the years. More recently, surfboards made out of balsa and polystyrene cores are becoming more popular.

Figure 1: Surfboard materials (HotTamale surfboards [s.a.]).

The material and mechanical properties of the materials from which surfboards are made and how these properties influence the surfboards functionality.There is a wide variety of surfboard materials. When choosing a surfboard, weight is the main factor that affects its functionality. A light weight design is great for buoyancy and handling. A low density material will make a board more floatable and allows the board to be a smaller shape. The shape in turn affects the maneuverability. The durability of a surfboard is another important factor to consider.Foam blanks are made from foam that is a lightweight, cellular plastic material containing gas-filled voids. They are usually strengthened by the addition of stringers. Stringers are strips of material, typically wood glued vertically into the foam blank [4]Popular choices of surfboard foam are Polyurethane, Polystyrene or Expanded Polystyrene. Polyurethane has the advantage of being light and very shapeable. It is a very fine and brittle material, which allows it to be shaped with sand paper. The biggest disadvantage is its high toxicity.Figure 2: Surfboard blanks (Ixps Foam Surfboard Blanks [s.a.]).

Polystyrene foam is lighter than Polyurethane foam, but requires much more labor to shape. They are made from tiny foam spheres that are compressed together with an adhesive. They are less strong, but an epoxy coating makes it durable enough. It has the added advantage of being environmentally friendly.Figure 3: A Polyurethane board being shaped (Rizzo, 2010).

Many surfers, especially beginners, prefer modern sandwich constructed, epoxy boards. They are good entry-level boards as the material is relatively cheap and more reliable because they are durable and resistant. [5]Balsa wood is also a big favorite and has been so since the invention of fiber glass. Balsa is a light weight wood that is considerably fragile and not as sturdy as solid redwoods. This is why fiber glass is used to create the outer layer to protect the wood and strengthen it, without adding too much weight. Balsa boards are more durable and environmentally friendly than regular surfboards. It is also favored for its beautiful appearance.Fiberglass fabric is woven from glass fibers similar to wool or cotton fibers. There is a variety of glassing options in surfboard production as different types of glass having different strengths and densities are available. Less glassing means a lighter board, but it also makes it more prone to dings, delamination and breakage. An Epoxy resin is used seal the fiber glass.Fiberglass is a lightweight, extremely strong, and robust material. Although strength properties are somewhat lower than carbon fiber and it is less stiff, the material is typically far less brittle, and the raw materials are much less expensive. Its bulk strength and weight properties are also very favorable when compared to metals, and it can be easily formed using molding processes. [6]Hollow wooden surfboards are made from wood and epoxy, and specifically have no foam in their construction. The inside of the board is hollowed to lighten the weight and they are generally 30% to 300% heavier than foam and resin surfboards. These boards are more environmentally friendly, as they are made from fast growing plantation wood.Figure 4: Hollow surfboard design (Hollow Wood Surfboard Build, [s.a.]).

Manufacturing

There are many different types of surfboards used around the world that consists of different materials for the specific types of environment. The main material used in making a surfboard is Poluretharane. Poluretharane has been used since over 50 years to create boards and its advantages is that the material is very light, good machinability and very brittle which means it can be easily shaved around the corners without tearing into it.Serious surfers have surfboards custom made and engineered for the waves they will be riding. The board has a core that is a piece of polyurethane and has a wood piece in the middle. The shaping specialist will first check the board for defects and after that he will cut the board to the right length. He then takes a board shape template and traces it. The shaping specialist takes his saw and saw along his pencil line that he drew. Using a planar he refines the board to the customer specifications and check if everything is symmetrical. The shaping specialist then shapes the edges to make it smooth. He then uses a power sander to flatten the surface and makes it feel smooth and before he hands it over to the next department he checks if all measurements are indeed correct. A Lamination specialist will then put a layer of fiberglass on top called the deck. Fiberglass is light but yet strong material. He first lays a piece of fiberglass cloth on the board and leaves a 3 inch overlap around the perimeter. The specialist will then spread a polyester resin to give the board that specific colour the customer wants and folds the overlap onto the deck. He then grinds the corners flat and flips the board over where the specialist will trim the overlap. He covers the deck in two layers of fiberglass and in between them he pours clear polyester resin. The resin soaks the paper and embedding logos. He then puts another layer of fiberglass on top and then cuts a whole for the surfboards fin. [10] [11]After the lamination expert a sanding specialist will take over to grind its fin slot and uses a sander to smoothen the surface. The next stop for the board is the painting room where the board will be painted and then delivered to the surf shop.

Alternative materials for SurfboardsPolyurethane surfboards are the most common among surfers, but unfortunately absorbs water over extensive time periods and the worst aspect remains the negative impact on the environment when building polyurethane boards.Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), on the other hand offers strong, lightweight, more buoyant foam, with a significantly lower impact on the environment. Taking into consideration the following information and material properties of EPS foam, it seems to be a viable candidate in replacing Polyurethane surfboards. [12]Weight:EPS foam is manufactured in various densities that typically range from 11.2 to 45.7 kg/m3, compared to Polyurethane foam ranging from as 12.8 to 96.1 kg/m3, and because EPS foam is lighter with a closed-cell structure it is also more buoyant than Polyurethane foam.Cost:EPS foam is more widely available than polyurethane foam, thus making a surfboard from expanded polystyrene foam would be less costly due to the money saved on shipping costs or travel expenses. EPS boards in general are more damage resistant, lighter, and less expensive than their counterparts. According to Stephen Pirsch (2003), by using EPS foam, it would be possible to reduce the total surfboard cost by about 25%. [12]Sustainability and the Environment:Expanded polystyrene is a 100% recyclable and can be reused in different ways such as lightweight concrete, plastic lumber, weather resistant outdoor decks, fencing, drain field aggregate, etc. Fewer trucks with lighter loads are required to deliver EPS foam, meaning less pollution from fuel emissions and less damage to a nations roadways and infrastructure. [13] [14]Expanded polystyrene is a practical and effective use of natural resources. It does not contain CFC, HCFCs and does not biodegrade and therefore no damage is caused to the ozone layer or water sources. Manufacturing EPS is safe and pose no health risks to people or the environment. [15]

References:1. Cavette. Chris, Surfboard, How Products Are Made. [Online] Available at: http://www.encyclopedia.com 30 Sep. 20132. Marcus, Ben. The History of Surfing. 2013. [Online] Available at: http://www.surfingforlife.com/history.html. 30 Sept 20133. June 2013, Constuction, [Online] Available at: http://www.hottamale.com.au/construction.htm 12 October 20134. "Know Your Foam"[online]. Available: http://www.surfscience.com/topics/surfboard-anatomy/materials/know-your-foam. [2013, October 5].5. Perreira, Ben. "Apocalypse to epoxy, from Clark Foam to the New Standards of Surfboard Production"[online]. Available: www.westcoastsurfmag.com. [2013, October 5].6. Mayer, Rayner M. (1993), Design with reinforced plastics, Springer, p.7, ISBN978-0-85072-294-97. Hollow Wood Surfboard Build[online]. Available: http://itchingforfun.fiberglasssupply.com/2010/08/hollow-wood-surfboard-build.html. [2013, October 11].8. Rizzo, Patrick (August 4, 2010) Surfboard Market Update[online]. Available: http://urethaneblog.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/08/surfboard-market-update.html. [2013, October 11].9. Ixps Foam Surfboard Blanks[online].Available: http://www.made-in-china.com/showroom/gudangsurfboard/product-detailibPnydOcMgWM/China-Ixps-Foam-Surfboard-Blanks.html. [2013, October 11].10. 2013. How surfboard is made - manufacture, history, used, dimensions, steps, machine, Raw Materials, Design, The Manufacturing Process of surfboard, Quality Control. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.madehow.com/Volume-2/Surfboard.html. [12 October 2013].11. 2013. Know Your Foam. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.surfscience.com/topics/surfboard-anatomy/materials/know-your-foam. [12 October 2013].12. Stephen Pirsch. 2003. How to Build Your First Surfboard. [Online]. Available: http://www.surfersteve.com/polystyrene.htm [2013, October 10].13. Environmentally Friendly Expanded Polystyrene. [Online]. Available: http://www.polystyrenepackaging.co.za/et11-environmentally-friendly-expanded-polystyrene.htm [2013, October 10].14. Dr. Timothy D. Stark, Dr. Steven F. Bartlett & Dr. David Arellano. Expanded Polystyrene (EPS). [Online]. Available: http://www.civil.utah.edu [2013, October 10].15. The New Word on Surfboard Foam. 2013. [Online]. Available: http://www.surfscience.com/topics/surfboard-anatomy/materials/surfboard-foam [2013, October 10].