The sporting goods industry relies on durable, high-performing products that are optimized in terms of design and weight. Major players in the sporting goods industry can differentiate themselves from competitors by enabling their athletes to achieve higher levels of performance while minimizing the risk of injury–which can be accomplished by higher-quality sports equipment.

One recent revolution in the sporting goods industry is Re:Build Oribi Composite’s innovations in thermoplastic composite parts manufacturing. In this article, we’ll explore the advantages of thermoplastic composites and their applications in the sporting goods industry.

What are thermoplastic composite parts?

Thermoplastic composites combine polymers with reinforcing fibers of carbon, glass, or other materials, creating a durable and lightweight material. For years, thermoplastic composites were expensive and time-consuming to manufacture, meaning most sporting goods companies gravitated towards traditional metal materials. Due to recent automation and manufacturing innovations, thermoplastic composite parts can now be mass-produced at a cost competitive with traditional materials.

Advantages of thermoplastics include:

  1. High strength-to-weight ratio: Thermoplastic composite parts are lightweight but strong, making them ideal for sporting goods applications where reducing weight can improve performance. They maintain excellent structural integrity, even when experiencing frequent, rigorous use and wear and tear.
  2. Impact resistance: Thermoplastic composite parts are known for their durability and impact resistance, making them well-suited for contact sports like football, hockey, or lacrosse. Their impact resistance and durability also help promote player safety.
  3. Customization and design optimization: Thermoplastics parts are easier to mold and remold than traditional materials or thermoset composite parts, providing designers and manufacturers with unparalleled design versatility. Using thermoplastic composites, sporting goods manufacturers can create innovative, aerodynamic, and ergonomic sporting equipment tailored to the athlete’s specific needs.
  4. Environmental friendliness: Thermoplastics are recyclable and can be used for manufacturing with less energy than manufacturing with traditional metals.

Sporting goods applications

How can you use thermoplastic composite parts in sporting goods manufacturing? Their light weight, high durability, and optimized design make them ideal for a variety of equipment:

  • Protective gear and climbing helmets are crucial to protecting athletes’ safety. As a supplier of bump helmets to the military, Re:Build Oribi Composites has mastered the art of high-volume composite protective helmet manufacturing.
  • Thermoplastic hockey sticks and lacrosse sticks also radically outperform traditional sticks, due to their lightweight and rapidly formable material chemistries.
  • Tennis rackets are well-suited for thermoplastic composite parts, since they need to be lightweight, strong, and stiff. Thermoplastics allow for better ball control and reduced vibration.

Want to learn more?


The team at Re:Build Oribi Composites would love to help you transform your sporting goods business through the implementation of thermoplastic component parts. Contact us to get started!