Development of a camber measurement system for skis and snowboards

Abstract

At the request of K2 Sports, in Seattle, Washington, a machine was constructed to measure the base profile of skis and snowboards. The measurements to be taken included overall length, running surface length, locations of the contact points, tip and tail height, and maximum camber height, each of these values having a strong effect on the performance of the ski or snowboard. Parts from two existing non-functioning machines, one acquired in K2 Sports' acquisition of Line Skis, and the other constructed by previous interns, were used to construct the new machine. The new machine was designed to function by placing the ski on two parallel flat surfaces on the Line machine's frame with a gap between for a laser sensor. The guide rail and cart system from the past interns' machine was retrofitted with the motor and controls of the Line machine and a new drive belt to carry the sensor along the length of the ski. A Micro Epsilon optoNCDT 1401-200 laser sensor having a resolution of 100 pm and a data acquisition rate of 1kHz was used to acquire the height data as the sensor moved at a controlled speed along the entire length of the ski. Data was recorded using Micro Epsilon's ild1401 Tool software, and processed automatically through a National Instruments LabVIEW Virtual Instrument. The machine was presented to K2 engineers on August 15, 2007. It accurately records the desired measurements which are helpful in predicting the performance effects of design changes to the ski or snowboard. The machine remains in daily use.