Sustainable Avalanche Safety Gear to Protect our Winters

AI Quick Summary

Natural Fiber Reinforced Plastics enable sports gear to be sustainable and lightweight—delivering increased performance and novel haptic experience. The project idea is to develop and bring to market a novel avalanche shovel consisting of Natural Fiber Reinforced Plastics using sustainable production processes integrated in a circular economy. Currently, most avalanche shovels on the market are made from aluminum alloys. The mining and further processing of aluminum up to the finished avalanche shovel has an enormous environmental impact. Nowadays almost all avalanche shovels produced in the Far East and shipped to Europe and the US for sale, causing a big environmental impact, long supply chains, energy inefficiency and exclusion of local stakeholders.The concept of an avalanche shovel made from Natural Fiber Reinforced Plastics (NFRPCs) goes well beyond a pure material substitution. The full advantage of a sustainable material embedded in a holistic approach should be exploited. NFRPCs have outstanding mechanical properties, can be locally grown and processed, as well as used and put back into circulation after end of life.Thus, not only nature and the environment benefit, but local agriculture, industries, and businesses.The ecological benefits of Natural Fiber Reinforced Composite Materials over conventional aluminum structures have been proven and investigated through different life cycle assessment based research. It is to be noted that NFRPCs are more eco-friendlier than traditional composites due to the major contribution of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in their structures.There are a wide range of manufacturing technologies which permit production in large scale (locally in Switzerland and in Europe). Especially, recent developments in the field of thermoplastics provide a good basis for the novel application and utilization of natural fiber materials in sports gear.The goal of the project is to show the potential and benefits of NFRPCs by realizing a novel natural fiber based avalanche shovel concept . The know-how, supply chains and manufacturing technologies developed within the project should be a basis and further used at a later stage to expand the use of eco-friendly materials for sports gear in general.The novel natural fiber avalanche shovel should be embedded into a larger circular economy strategy. Fibers and matrix should be procured from a source geographically close to the material processor and manufacturer of the products, as well as their users. Even further, a process should be developed which reuses used or damaged products, which should be re-integrated in the value chain.The intended project will help to line out potential energy and CO2 savings between traditional aluminum shovels vs. natural fiber shovels. As a first step in the project we will help to determine in a specific manner the composition of the sustainable shovel (flax fibers, bio-based polymers & bio-based epoxy resin) as well as the estimated weight of the final product. In that respect, we will be able to hold a LCA and get a clear picture on the CO2 and energy savings. As a starting point, according to the MSI of Higg Index, the global warming of Aluminum production is 8.51kg CO2 eq, which means 3 times higher than Flax Fiber production (e.g., Aluminum Shovel 0.475kg, raw material impact 3.61kg CO2 eq vs. Flax Fiber Shovel 0.475kg, raw material impact 1.07kg CO2 eq). The project within the present application should cover the following milestones:Investigation of applicable Materials and Manufacturing TechnologiesDevelopment of a Design Space for the novel Avalanche Shovel conceptInvestigation of Cost StructureComparative Life Cycle Assessment for a preliminary design of the shovel and its components. Identification of main influence factors and drivers for sustainability and CO2 emission reductionCompilation of results and findings for the continuation of the development process of the product and manufacturing process, its finalization for market entry.The project is a joint venture of Mammut Sports Group and Radiate Engineering and Design AG.Mammut Sports Group:is a leading outdoor brand in the field of avalanche safety, mountaineering, climbing and outdoor.Radiate Engineering & Design AG:has extensive experience in developing products for various industries, including sports gear.has the savoir-faire to perform developments using advanced materials and technology and push the boundaries.Team behind:Sophie Renot – Innovation Manager at MSGTimothy Habermacher – CEO & Co-founder at Radiate Engineering & Design Pascla Trachsler – Industrial Designer at Radiate Engineering & Design

Project Idea Metadata

• Project Idea Name: Sustainable Avalanche Safety Gear to Protect our Winters
• Date: 3/15/2022 3:10:23 PM
• Administrators:
  • Ilari Dammert

Project Idea Description

Currently, most avalanche shovels on the market are made from aluminum alloys. The mining and further processing of aluminum up to the finished avalanche shovel has an enormous environmental impact. Nowadays almost all avalanche shovels produced in the Far East and shipped to Europe and the US for sale, causing a big environmental impact, long supply chains, energy inefficiency and exclusion of local stakeholders.

The concept of an avalanche shovel made from Natural Fiber Reinforced Plastics (NFRPCs) goes well beyond a pure material substitution. The full advantage of a sustainable material embedded in a holistic approach should be exploited. NFRPCs have outstanding mechanical properties, can be locally grown and processed, as well as used and put back into circulation after end of life.

Thus, not only nature and the environment benefit, but local agriculture, industries, and businesses.

The ecological benefits of Natural Fiber Reinforced Composite Materials over conventional aluminum structures have been proven and investigated through different life cycle assessment based research. It is to be noted that NFRPCs are more eco-friendlier than traditional composites due to the major contribution of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in their structures.

There are a wide range of manufacturing technologies which permit production in large scale (locally in Switzerland and in Europe). Especially, recent developments in the field of thermoplastics provide a good basis for the novel application and utilization of natural fiber materials in sports gear.

The goal of the project is to show the potential and benefits of NFRPCs by realizing a novel natural fiber based avalanche shovel concept . The know-how, supply chains and manufacturing technologies developed within the project should be a basis and further used at a later stage to expand the use of eco-friendly materials for sports gear in general.

The novel natural fiber avalanche shovel should be embedded into a larger circular economy strategy. Fibers and matrix should be procured from a source geographically close to the material processor and manufacturer of the products, as well as their users. Even further, a process should be developed which reuses used or damaged products, which should be re-integrated in the value chain.

The intended project will help to line out potential energy and CO2 savings between traditional aluminum shovels vs. natural fiber shovels. As a first step in the project we will help to determine in a specific manner the composition of the sustainable shovel (flax fibers, bio-based polymers & bio-based epoxy resin) as well as the estimated weight of the final product. In that respect, we will be able to hold a LCA and get a clear picture on the CO2 and energy savings.

As a starting point, according to the MSI of Higg Index, the global warming of Aluminum production is 8.51kg CO2 eq, which means 3 times higher than Flax Fiber production (e.g., Aluminum Shovel 0.475kg, raw material impact 3.61kg CO2 eq vs. Flax Fiber Shovel 0.475kg, raw material impact 1.07kg CO2 eq).

The project within the present application should cover the following milestones:

• Investigation of applicable Materials and Manufacturing Technologies
• Development of a Design Space for the novel Avalanche Shovel concept
• Investigation of Cost Structure
• Comparative Life Cycle Assessment for a preliminary design of the shovel and its components. Identification of main influence factors and drivers for sustainability and CO2 emission reduction
• Compilation of results and findings for the continuation of the development process of the product and manufacturing process, its finalization for market entry.

The project is a joint venture of Mammut Sports Group and Radiate Engineering and Design AG.

Mammut Sports Group:

• is a leading outdoor brand in the field of avalanche safety, mountaineering, climbing and outdoor.

Radiate Engineering & Design AG:

• has extensive experience in developing products for various industries, including sports gear.
• has the savoir-faire to perform developments using advanced materials and technology and push the boundaries.

Team behind:

• Sophie Renot – Innovation Manager at MSG
• Timothy Habermacher – CEO & Co-founder at Radiate Engineering & Design
• Pascla Trachsler – Industrial Designer at Radiate Engineering & Design

Natural Fiber Reinforced Plastics enable sports gear to be sustainable and lightweight—delivering increased performance and novel haptic experience. The project idea is to develop and bring to market a novel avalanche shovel consisting of Natural Fiber Reinforced Plastics using sustainable production processes integrated in a circular economy.