The Material Matrix – Introducing H2 Tri-Axial Ultra PE
Interview with Brand Director, Clinton Filen.
In Airush’s ongoing quest for a new level of performance in kites, through increasing responsiveness, reduced weight, and maximizing durability, we introduce our latest generation of Ultra PE materials.
Traditionally known under the brand names Dyneema and Spectra, Ultra PE is a unique fiber 32x stronger than polyester at the same weight, and forms the building block of our latest high-performance Team Series construction.
Airush utilizes Ultra PE in three key technology drivers in the Team Series kites: The legendary Airush Load Frame, WebTech, and the all-new H2 Ultra PE Air Frame. This unique range has been developed in conjunction with the leading cloth manufacturers worldwide for the specific application of the latest Airush Team Series models.
How does H2 compare to Ho’okipa?
At under 85 gsm, H2 is a lighter leading edge and strut material, whereas Ho’okipa is around 120 gsm (regular Dacron is 160 gsm). Both formulations are way lighter and more responsive than their Dacron counterparts, so this is more of a matter of fine-tuning our Ultra PE platform specific to the user requirements.
H2 takes the same durable woven outer layer concept as Ho’okipa with significant leaps in the manufacturing process such as:
- Reduced weight while increasing the amount of Ultra PE. H2 makes use of 100D 100% Ultra PE, Ho’okipa was 200D, 50% Ultra PE/ 50% Polyester.
- Key new steps in the material process to create a tighter, more stable weave. Increasing pre-tension stability, material responsiveness, reduced bias stretch, and reduced weight after lamination.
What makes Ultra PE such a unique material and why has it only gained prominence over the last few years?
Traditionally known under the brand names, Dyneema and Spectra, Ultra PE has been around for many years. It was more typically used in ropes and flying lines, but due to its properties, there has been ongoing work around using it in cloths and laminates for at least 25 years. It is a unique fiber that is 32x stronger than polyester at the same weight, and it is extremely abrasion-resistant. It’s also so light that it floats on water.
Ultra PE has many unique challenges due to its properties, specifically around how to stabilize the material and manufacture it consistently at scale. For example, you cannot heat the material above around 160 degrees, so traditional sailcloth processes can not be used.
Where did Airush’s journey start with Ultra PE materials?
We have used Ultra PE in the Airush Load Frame for over 10 years, giving us a good long-term insight into the benefits of the material, as this essentially changed the responsiveness of the kites. It combines the balance of lightweight, responsiveness, and the durability we were looking for.
Our first Ultra PE development was with Dyneema Corporation around 8 years ago and this early project started to really highlight the potential and pitfalls of the new fabric. We were excited about the potential as it looked like the best theoretical solution but knew it would be a long road.
After this, we began working with Aluula, Challenge Sailcloth, and Dimension Polyant with a long-term view of building lighter, stronger, and more responsive materials. The difficulty for us is finding partners who work within our closed-loop development systems, where we can work with them to improve the formulation of the fabric based on long-term testing, ongoing development, and application in mass production. The designers will define key characteristics they are looking for and I will try and refine this with our partners.
Initially, the properties of the Ho’okipa worked best for us as the bias properties of the material matched very closely to what we wanted the material to do and allowed us to run higher pressures and maintain maximum durability. ALUULA Aeris materials offer amazing performance characteristics with reduced weight through a new formulation of the UPE and lamination composition. For the upcoming range, we continued to refine the material requirement, moving back towards the primarily woven Ultra PE structure, with significant updates, and introducing H2.
So how does H2 compare to Ho’okipa and the Aluula Aeris?
All three of these materials use Ultra PE, so they all benefit in different ways from the base material.
Elongation
In typical use, the H2 offers the lowest level of elongation (stretch) in our lab tests. This is critical in the kite maintaining its shape under inflation and how much it responds to input and corrects once the bar is straightened after steering.
Some of the market has become wary of claims around light weight and increased durability at the same time. What is Airush’s perspective on this?
Our objective is always to reduce the weight but never at the expense of reduced durability.
We talk a lot about reliable performance, and it is vital that we never lose that reliability, as much as we chase higher performance.
When looking at leading edges and struts, you can normally look into the science and ask yourself how something was made lighter. In our case, it is through using exotic materials with Ultra PE. So, yes, you have a material that is half the weight, but it is also made from a primary component that is 32x stronger, so there is clear room for weight reduction.
Another big area of weight reduction is around thinner bladders. This is possibly the most cost-effective way to reduce weight, and that saving is often mistakenly attributed to the material. But this is another area that needs significant ongoing testing before taking that step. We have reduced our bladder weight by around 25% over the last 5 years, but we do not use what we consider ”ultralight” bladders.
The nature of the environment that these kites operate in can be harsh, and we need to make sure that performance gains are realistic, and reliability is at the very least comparable to regular kites, if not superior. These are high-value products that need to last. Our products have always been praised for their strength, and we are careful to ensure we only use materials that enhance this aspect of what we do.
What about the canopy?
Canopy materials have become relatively standardized with Teijin generally regarded as the benchmark in canopy cloth. I think the most important point in canopy is that “ripstop” is not a measure of performance. Ripstop helps to stop tears when they start, they do not reduce stretch, or increase abrasion resistance or resistance to flapping.
The most important point for riders to understand is that flapping and UV destroy any canopy, and limiting this can add years to your products.
So what is the next big area of development we can expect from Airush?
Welding and bonding are the next areas of development, and we introduce Ultra Bond Seams on the new Lift Team in the primary Sections of the LE. This system is unique to Dimension Polyant and another reason we went with the H2.
But looking at the seams, there is still a stitching layer?
Yes, we still use the stitching to achieve a precision assembly and prevent the seam from peeling back under prolonged use. We also use it as redundant reinforcing that would engage if the welding ever failed.
UNLEASH NEW LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE & DURABILITY
H2 – Next generation Ultra PE material featuring tri-axial laminate technology.
The tri-axial Ultra PE outer layers form a high-performance composite structure, engineered to deliver superior mechanical responsiveness, light weight and exceptional durability. UHMWPE fibers are the lightest and strongest fibers commercially available and boast the highest impact strength of any thermoplastic.
The 100D Woven Ultra PE layer carries loads along the primary warp and fill directions, while the 400D Ultra PE X-Yarns enhance responsiveness and stability along the bias (45/45), supporting the material under torsion and dynamic loading. A 0.5mil PET film with ultra-low stretch stabilizes the laminate, boosting structural integrity and seam strength.
Precisely engineered and the result of over six years of intensive testing and development, H2 represents the next evolution in advanced material technology.
ULTRA BOND WELDED SEAMS
This unique range has been developed in conjunction with the leading cloth manufacturers worldwide for the specific application of the latest Airush Team Series models.
Unique to Airush H2 Ultra PE kites are the Ultra Bond welded seams, which create a fused connection on key panels for enhanced responsiveness and performance.
Developed in conjunction with technology partner Dimension Polyant, Ultra Bond seams feature either a thermal or ultrasonic activation bond between the panels. Even load distribution spreads forces across the material rather than concentrating them at stitch holes, as found in traditional assemblies. This diffusion of load is ideal for lightweight composite materials, as it reduces the amount of reinforcement required by 50% and creates an optimal strength-to-weight ratio.
Clinton Filen is the Design Director at Airush and has worked in material development and product design for over 30 years. His multi-disciplinary design experience along with his passion for developing materials, yield some valuable insights into the overall design processes.