1st June 2017 - North Thin Ply Technology™ (NTPT), a world leader in lightweight prepreg materials and other composite technologies, has an exciting summer ahead with various sporting disciplines featuring Thin Ply Technology®. From luxury sports accessories and motorsport to golf and sailing, NTPT™’s composite solutions are showcasing their versatility and performance.
New Richard Mille watch featuring Quartz TPT is unveiled at the Roland Garros French Open
The latest Richard Mille Rafael Nadal edition watch was revealed when the tennis star took to the court in the Roland Garros French Open last week. The RM27-03 Tourbillion Rafael Nadal Watch has been designed to reflect the red clay courts of the French Open. A host of challenges were overcome by engineers at Richard Mille and NTPT™ to achieve this striking red and yellow Quartz TPT® case, which is mounted directly onto a unibody baseplate made of Carbon TPT®. The watch is shock resistant to 10,000 Gs, has undergone hundreds of hours of pendulum impact testing, and is limited to a run of 50 pieces.
TPT® Golf shafts selected by players on the PGA, LPGA and Senior Tours
TPT® Golf shafts have been selected by players on the PGA, LPGA and Senior tours, and the TPT® Golf team will be at the 146th Open to demonstrate the shafts’ performance. The event takes place at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in the North of England between 16th – 23rd July, and TPT® Golf will be there with partner Leadbetter Golf Academy, who was instrumental in the development process of the shafts, which are the most consistent and accurate available on the market today. Manufactured using NTPT™’s unique composite tube processing technology, the shafts provide greater stability during the swing, and a better feeling impact that imparts lower spin to the ball, thanks to the perfectly centred and near homogenous design.
Thin Ply Technology® powering F1 and the Le Mans 24 Hours
The NTPT™ team is closely watching the Formula 1 teams to see its Thin Ply Technology® in action, and is also looking forward to the Le Mans 24 Hour race in June, which will feature cars using thin ply materials for their body work and under trays. NTPT™’s thin ply materials offer improved resin flow between the fibres and a more homogeneous laminate, so the parts are not only extremely light, but the mechanical properties of the part are also maximised, providing a higher point of failure. NTPT™ first got involved with Formula 1 teams through its ultra-light, ultra-stiff materials; and more recently has supplied PES-toughened ThinPreg™ 135 prepreg material which offers exceptional compression after impact and exceptional strength properties. This expanded offering has resulted in additional car parts now being able to benefit from Thin Ply Technology®.
Thin Ply Technology® featured in America’s Cup and other racing yachts
Racing is underway in the hotly contested – and much debated – 35th America’s Cup in Bermuda. And in few weeks’ time, another historic race, the Round the Island Race, is due to take place in Cowes, UK, where the America’s Cup trophy was first contested in 1851. Thin Ply Technology® is used by all America’s Cup teams, and in many of the 900 race boats competing in the Round the Island Race. The use of Thin Ply Technology® in soft sails, licensed by North Sails under the name 3Di™, was the invention of NTPT™’s founders, and the evolution of this technology into rigid composites has made it a natural choice for ultra-light wing sail construction.
The NTPT team understands the need for performance, reactivity, technical support and innovation, and by partnering with experts in specific fields, converts composite technology into solutions which are renowned within the world of sport where equipment technology is integral to performance