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Paralympic Wheelchair Racing Demands Performance Gloves — 3D Printing DeliversParalympic Wheelchair Racing Demands Performance Gloves — 3D Printing Delivers

Applying selective laser sintering to a carbon-fiber polyamide composite produced gloves with the lightness, stiffness, wear resistance, and weather resilience needed to succeed.

Stephen Moore

July 25, 2024

2 Min Read
Paralympic athlete Tatyana McFadden
Image courtesy of CRP USA

The 2024 Paris Olympics kicked off on July 24 with soccer and rugby matches and the official opening ceremony takes place tomorrow, July 26. Carbon-fiber composites are set to play a key performance-enhancing role in a multitude of sports from track and field, canoeing, and kayaking to archery and cycling. Come August 28, the Paris Paralympics are sure to showcase even more high-tech composites deployed in prosthetics, mobility devices, and more.

Take US athlete Tatyana McFadden, for example, who hopes to add to her incredible track record of eight gold, seven silver, and four bronze medals in various track events from the 100-meter competition to the marathon in the T54 wheelchair category for athletes with spinal cord injuries. McFadden has also emerged victorious in the New York City Marathon wheelchair category five times and even competed at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games in the women’s paralympic cross-country skiing event, winning the silver medal.

3D fit for purpose.

McFadden’s first racing gloves were made of heavy-duty fabric with rubber padding that allowed her to feel every impact against the wheelchair’s hand ring. By the 2008 Paralympic Games, she and her team began crafting hard gloves using plastic beads melted in boiling water, molded to fit her hands. Despite their thickness, these gloves were prone to wear and tear and didn't meet her high standards for competition.

A turning point came in 2015 when McFadden experimented with 3D-printed gloves. The following year, she partnered with 3D-printing firm CRP USA to further develop these gloves, focusing on enhancing strength and durability. "CRP USA has been incredibly supportive, not only with their innovative products but also in giving me confidence that my gloves will perform reliably," said McFadden.

CRP USA utilized selective laser sintering and Windform XT 2.0 composite material in the manufacturing process. The carbon fiber–filled composite employs a polyamide matrix.

Leveraging thermoplastics and SLS.

“Tatyana's previous gloves didn't meet her high standards,” stressed Nathan “Nate” Baker, senior project coordinator at CRP USA. “The Windform range of composites from our Italian partner, CRP Technology, proved to be a game-changer. After testing various Windform materials, Windform XT 2.0 emerged as the best fit.”

By leveraging selective laser sintering and Windform XT 2.0, CRP USA ensured the gloves met McFadden's demands for lightness, stiffness, wear resistance, and weather resilience. Detailed design improvements, such as hollowing out the gloves and adding internal structures, significantly reduced weight — the 3D-printed gloves weigh approximately 100 grams, half the weight of traditional gloves — while maintaining strength and integrity. These enhancements boosted her agility and speed. Rigorous tests confirmed their outstanding performance in terms of weight and durability.

McFadden will contest five individual T54 events — the 100 m, 400 m, 800 m, 1500 m, and marathon—at the 2024 Paralympics, showcasing her versatility in the wheelchair races. These Paralympic Games will be 35-year-old McFadden's seventh appearance (after 2004, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2024).

About the Author

Stephen Moore

Stephen has been with PlasticsToday and its preceding publications Modern Plastics and Injection Molding since 1992, throughout this time based in the Asia Pacific region, including stints in Japan, Australia, and his current location Singapore. His current beat focuses on automotive. Stephen is an avid folding bicycle rider, often taking his bike on overseas business trips, and a proud dachshund owner.

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