Duotone Mag 2024

Toni, the first question goes to you as Head of Development: Why do you run your own laboratory here at your headquarters in Munich? Toni: There are many reasons for this. The strongest motivation at the beginning was that we wanted to eliminate any uncertainties in the material we received from our suppliers. We never had total transparency: what is in it, what is used, how well it is produced. But our obligation to our customers is of course to guarantee continuous quality. So it was clear to us that we didn’t just have to deliver data that was implemented by our producers, but also check whether they were implementing it in the way we wanted and thus have more influence in the production process. This very early analysis has put us in a position to change and improve products, materials and processes very quickly. When did you start setting up this lab? Toni: Ten years ago, it was more like a workshop at first, then it had the character of a test laboratory, today it is primarily a development laboratory. Our quality tests now take place at the producers’ premises. Today, the laboratory helps us to delve deeper into development processes, speed up development and reduce development loops. What equipment do you use for this? Malte: It started with a testing machine for tensile tests. We use it a lot. Then we added another 3D printer, which really sped up some of the development processes. In our sports, there are many dynamic processes that affect the material, so we invested in a dynamic test bench. The UV cabinet also runs day and night. We always outsourced corrosion and salt spray tests to an external laboratory, but had to wait three to four weeks for the results. That took too long for us. So the next step was to install a salt spray cabinet. And so it went on and on. In the last three years in particular, the laboratory has grown step by step and we have invested a lot of money in it. Since last year, we have also employed a laboratory technician, Julia Brening, who deals exclusively with the test set-ups and carries out the tests. What are the specific purposes of the laboratory tests and what are they relevant for in practice? Malte: Let’s take the kite canopy material. In the past, there was only one canopy, then a second manufacturer came along, and there were only two qualities of dacron to choose from. Today, the variety of materials is so much more complex and new developments in this area are so much more dynamic. We use an intelligent mix of different materials on our kites. The question arises with every new material: can we process it in production in this way, does the combination work? When we changed the design of the kite, we used to have to order samples from production, wait three weeks for them and then send them to our kite stations for field tests. Today we can build all the samples here ourselves, we have various sewing machines, an ultrasonic welding machine and can use the exact construction as in the final production of our kites. Then we pull, tear, load and test as much as we can until we can decide: Is this better or worse than what we have been offering so far? Toni: But we are also concerned with basic work. We collect test results, compare them and feed them into a database. Since the laboratory was set up, we have done more than 3000 material tests and recorded the data, as well as determining the laboratory values for more than 850 seam construction tests. We have tested all materials available on the market in all trials and have included them in our database. Malte: Even when a manufacturer presents a new material to us, we first check it in the laboratory in all our standard tests: Tear strength, tear propagation values, UV exposure, salt spray, flutter etc. This allows us to compare the data very quickly: How does it compare to our Trinity material? And: Can we incorporate it into our prototypes? It’s like Toni says: we’re doing elementary research here. What exactly is the benefit of this basic research? Toni: New materials make new designs possible. But using new materials requires an understanding of these new materials. And this understanding doesn’t happen on the product itself, but in advance in the laboratory. This database is incredibly important. Because when this is brought from the laboratory into practice, the designers have the advantage of knowing exactly how the material influences the shape. That is the great art. Incorporating materials into the kite without any understanding from the laboratory means that you feel something in the kite but don’t know why. With precisely analyzed material, on the other hand, you can draw better conclusions as to why the kite feels different and how you can use this positively for the design. Is the laboratory mainly relevant for the kite division, or do other departments also use the facilities here? Toni : No, all divisions use the test rigs. Windsurf tests and defines special board layups with static loads or the dynamic hydropulser. The foil department also carries out a lot of tests, bending tests for masts or flex properties of the wings. Designers from all departments appreciate the 3D printer, and product managers from all areas test pre-series designs. And everyone feeds their results into the shared database. This analysis tool is used by all developers and designers. We meet weekly and share new findings. The lab work is the best example of our joint R&D across all departments and all sports. Duotone operates its own laboratory with test benches at great expense. Findings from this flow into all development departments. An interview with Antonio ‘Toni’ Destino, Head of R&D, and Malte Gesser, Team Lead Product Management Kite, who were instrumental in setting up the laboratory. D U O T O N E D U O T O N E 100 101 W H Y L A B O R A T O R Y