Polymers in Sport and Leisure

References and Abstracts
strength, control and comfort. It is this myopic thinking
that is constricting the grip business in volume and dollar
sales. Most golfers re-grip their clubs every few years at
most, when they really need a new wrap every year. Also,
when the typical golfer re-grips their clubs they are usually
very mean. Most grips wholesale at about one US dollar
apiece. Rubber wraps represent about 85% of the grip
market, with thermoplastic elastomer, PU, leather and
fibre making up the remainder. Details are given.
GRIPPING SOLUTIONS INC.; EATON CORP.
USA
Accession no.662193
Item 240
Rubber and Plastics News
27, No.6, 20th Oct.1997, p.21-2
ROOKIE FIRMS TEE OFF IN GOLF BALL
MARKET
Whitford M
A few golf industry suppliers now are trying to make
money at both ends of the market - producing balls and
clubs. Industry observers say some of the major golf
equipment makers plan to enter the ball market before
the turn of the century. Among the rumoured newcomers
are golf club giants Callaway Golf and Taylor Made Golf,
and golf shoe and apparel maker Nike. Of those three,
only Callaway has unveiled blueprints for its advent to
the golf ball market - a 100 million US dollars Carlsbad,
California operation expected to launch a line in 1999.
Golf ball sales are rising at 3-5% annually and are likely
to match or beat that rate for the next 10-15 years, it is
forecast. However, increased domestic and import
competition is keeping many ball manufacturers’ sales
steady. Sales are increasing, as are the producers.
Companies must steal market share to bolster volume.
Details are given.
CALLAWAY GOLF CO.; TAYLOR MADE GOLF
CO.; NIKE INC.; SLAZENGER GOLF USA
USA
Accession no.662192
Item 241
Rubber and Plastics News
27, No.6, 20th Oct.1997, p.16/8
DISPOSABLE MARKET
Whitford M
In 1996, US companies produced around 70 million dozen
golf balls for 24.7 million golfers - almost 36 golf balls
per player. Most golf balls have a relatively short life, as
most players are not professionals. Some statistics and
current market and production trends are presented.
SUTHERLAND GOLF INC.; US,NATIONAL GOLF
FOUNDATION
USA
Accession no.662191
Item 242
Modern Plastics International
27, No.11, Nov.1997, p.95
TOUGHENED NYLON GRADES PERFORM AT
DEEP FREEZE TEMPERATURES TO - 40 DEG.C
LNP Engineering Plastics Europe has introduced Star-X
grades of nylons 6 and 66 with high impact strength in
the dry as-moulded condition. Some grades feature
characteristics at -40 deg.C equal to those of conditioned,
unmodified nylons at room temperature. They process
easily, and they are claimed to have excellent resistance
to oils, greases and most solvents. They have limited
resistance to strong acids and bases. Target applications
range from sports and leisure items, such as ski bindings
and boots, to conveyor chain links, textile machine
components and castor wheels. LNP says its proprietary
impact-modification technology offers significant
processing advantages over alternative nylons. Grades
have better flow, yielding a good surface finish even on
parts with long flow paths, it says, and unlike nylons
modified with more traditional impact modification
systems, they show no plate-out. Because impact strength
is high in the dry-as-moulded state, they do not have to
be preconditioned before use. Details are given.
LNP ENGINEERING PLASTICS EUROPE BV
EUROPEAN COMMUNITY; EUROPEAN UNION;
NETHERLANDS; WESTERN EUROPE
Accession no.662162
Item 243
Advanced Materials News
No.101, Nov.1997, p.1-2
CARBON FIBRE ROLLS ON...
The industry is reported to have commenced with a
few technical demonstration projects, notably along the
US West Coast. These have soon given way to
smallscale commercial contracts, which in turn have
recently led to carbon fibre composites being used in
some of the biggest renovation jobs of their kind.
Throughout industry, carbon fibre plastics are still
synonymous with high tech aerospace and premium
sports goods. The fact that this material is being used
at all in heavy-duty concrete renovation, let alone
formed the basis for a potentially huge-volume
business, has surprised many. Some of the latest
contracts are already beginning to stretch the industry’s
supply capacity. In the USA, a team of contractors
recently chose carbon fibre rather than steel to renovate
a major structure in Oklahoma City. Claimed to be the
biggest contract of its kind in the US, renovation of
the Myriad Convention Center will use up to 35,000
sq.m of carbon fibre overwrap to reinforce large areas
of concrete that no longer meet current design codes
on shear and flexural strength. Details are given.
XXSYS TECHNOLOGIES INC.
USA
Accession no.661766
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