Ski Builders Forum

I am doing some FE modelling for my thesis work, so I decided to play with skis as well. This is the longitudinal strain (blu=tension, red=compression) for a loaded ski.




It is just a test. Later I will do it in scale and with realistic loads.

sweet! brings back memories of engineering headaches. what program are you using?

Femlab.

It is a shame that a physicist has to do that. This is a job for engineers. .

I am looking for some freeware program, lighter and faster than Femlab.
Do you know anyone?

davide:

very nice. you can see clearly the difference in flex between the tip and tail. FEM is a great tool for modeling....

Here are more simulations. The colors stand for the longitudinal stress (red tensile, blue compressive).

First I compare my woodcore (4mm tip and tail, 16mm at the center) with the thinner core that are used normally (2mm, 12mm):

That is why I put less glass than usual in my skis.

I use 4 sheets of plywood. In one pair I used poplar (soft and fragile) as bottom sheet and birch (stiff and tough) for the 3 upper layers. Besides I did not make the transition from the layers as smooth as usual. Down here is the result:

Large compressive stress are applied to the poplar (lower picture). In that spot I reinforced with some glass, but it was not enough. Actually the glass and part of the wood cracked after few days of offpiste abuse.