Greengrip

Development of materials for climbing holds

Production Flow

Greengrip created a unique four stage manufacturing process for composite stones/novel materials from which our holds are made:
 
1. Selection of suitable resin composition
 - Suitable resin, or resin combination, are chosen depending on hold type in question.
 
 
2. Selection of modification/reinforcement agent - resin modification and reinforcement
 - Reinforcement through physical blending and chemical reactions. Reinforcement agents are mostly different kind of inorganic/organic particles. Key parameters for choosing resin reinforcement agents are agents particle size, modulus, strengths, adhesion, and distribution to resin matrix. Before mixing with resin matrix, reinforcement agents are pretreated by coupling agents
 
 
 
3. Selection of coupling agents - pretreatment of reinforcement agent 
Coupling agents are used to improve the bonding between resin matrix and reinforcement agent. By reinforcement agent surface modification general improvement of toughness can be achieved. As coupling agents mostly are used some reactive solvents, organosilanes, resins and like.
 
 
4. Selection of curing agent - polymerization of material
- After resin was selected and carefully mixed with pretreated reinforced agents, curing agent is added in order to get hard material. Selection of curing agent, resin type, reinforcement agent, and coupling agents gives desired mechanical properties to final material.
 
This production flow (STEP1 - STEP4)  is used for Production Lines 1 and 2, Production Line 3 has slightly modificated production flow. 
 
  Colors
- Final products, if painted, are painted by food colors (non-toxic paints) during stage 3. Food colors are used because they are tested for presence of toxic chemicals, and are safer to use than normal dyes and pigments (coded by E-numbers, used in  EU).
 
 
 

Climbing hold materials - requirements

Good material for climbing holds manufacturing,

has:
-high strength (tensile, flexural)
-high strength to weight ratio
-high fracture toughness and hardness
-good impact and abrasion resistance
-good surface detail reproduction

is:
-dyeable with food colors
-possible to be cured at room temperature

 is not:
-health hazard
-expensive

Material properties listed above are not the only properties we would like in our materials. We are using a different resins and a variety of modifiers to obtained desired properties of composite stone materials and novel materials.


For different kind of holds we use different kind of composite stone materials. Example - extra large size holds requires special strength to weight ratio materials, while extra small grips require extra strong materials which mass is not of big importance.

 

Recent Photos

 

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