The Olympic
Games- Design and Technology
We find ourselves in the midst of Olympic games fever once again. Our top athletes are competing at the highest level and strive for top honours in their chosen fields.
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How much
has technology been used to improve sports shoes therefore enhancing the
performance of our Olympians?
Before we investigate the type
of footwear used by our athletes let's examine a modern football boot.
If we look carefully we can see that it is made from a variety of materials
chosen because of their individual properties. |
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Question:
Which one of the above materials is synthetic and from which natural source
is it derived?
Question:
What exactly is a composite material? |
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Question:
What does the terms stability, elasticity and density mean? Discuss the
meaning of the terms with your fellow students and then compare your answers
to the ones below.
Stability This is a material's resistance
to changes in shape and size. |
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Question:
What is polyurethane? Polyurethane is a unique material that offers the elasticity of rubber combined with the toughness and durability of metal. The flexible type of polyurethane is used to make upholstery, mattresses, earplugs, chemical-resistant coatings, specialty adhesives and sealants, and packaging. It also comes to the rigid forms of insulation for buildings, water heaters, refrigerated transport, and commercial and residential refrigeration. |
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What
do the terms strength and pliability mean? This term is used to describe a materials ability to resist force without breaking or permanently bending. Different forces require different types of strengths to resist them. There are various types of strength such as tensile strength, compression strength, shearing strength, Torsional strength and bending strength. |
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Question:
What is Kevlar? The Properties of KEVLAR®. KEVLAR® is one of the most important manmade organic fibres ever developed. Because of its unique combination of properties it is used today in a wide variety of industrial applications. The fibre possesses a remarkable combination of properties that has led to its use in a variety of commercial products since the 1970's Fibres of KEVLAR® consist of long, interconnecting molecular chains produced from poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide. General Features of KEVLAR®:
In the almost 40 years
since its discovery, Kevlar has many applications: |
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A
brief history of the sports shoe Most of the teachers but probably not many of our students remember the rubber-soled plimsolls that were traditionally worn in PE lessons throughout most schools in Europe. 'You could have any colour you liked as long as it was black or white'. These have been replaced by air cushioned, gel filled capsules with superior technical performance. They come in a variety of colours, shapes and forms and are purchased as much for their appearance as their performance. The groundbreaking manufacturing technique that allowed the development of the plimsoll was called vulcanisation, which is still used today. This process uses heat to meld rubber and cloth together. Sulphur is used during the process. Plimsolls were revolutionary at the time as they provided comfort, were lightweight and allowed the user to move around silently. Plimsolls became known as sneakers and were sold on a mass scale by the Keds Shoe Company in America as early as 1917. |
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Spike
shoes You may think that spiked running shoes are a relatively new invention but they have been around for at least a 100 years. In 1890's a British company, which is now called Reebok created running shoes with spikes in them. The spiked shoe was developed out of necessity. The founder of the company enjoyed running and wanted to develop a shoe that would increase his speed. In 1925 a company called Adi Dassler now known as Adidas created a range of shoes with hand-forged spikes. They offered a range of shoes for different distances. The company used the strongest and lightest materials available at the time to make the running shoes. |
Adi-Dassler who founded the company Adidas, his brother Rudolph founded Puma. |
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The involvement
of science and technology In the 1970's sports shoe manufacturers employed experts to conduct research into how humans run. They also investigated the shock effect to the body caused by the collision between the feet and the ground. Their finding helped to develop new, improved sports shoes. Their research found three types of running styles:
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Question:
What have become the most important aspects of modern running shoes? Discuss
these aspects in class or you may consider conducting research homework
into this subject.
Modern technological developments If you wish to find out more
about injection moulding check out the following web page: |
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A better grip Following the introduction of Nike shoes, a technical breakthrough occurred in 1972 when Bill Bowerman, while studying the pattern on a waffle iron, came up with a great idea -- waffle soles. Bowerman then cooked some rubber in his waffle iron and glued it to the bottom of a pair of shoes, which he later gave to athletes to test. The athletes came back with great reviews and the sneakers were well received in the market. The patented outsole revolutionized running by offering better traction in a lighter-weight, more durable shoe. Nike Air: The air bubble Nike's Air technology, which used a gas-filled bag of air inserted in the sole of the shoe to cushion the impact of running, first appeared in 1979. The pair of sneakers was named; Tailwind and these technologically advanced air-soles had provided a good foundation for which further Nike advancements are based on. Since then, athletic shoes have become increasingly specialized and prices for various sneakers have grown in accordance to the advances in technology and its value-added features. The basketball shoes below were sold in the 1980's and even included a pump valve. Customers were encouraged to pump up their trainers as if they were bicycle tyres. Purchase of the trainers included a pump. |
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Nike Air Pump (Pump details)
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Nike Air Pump (sole details)
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Facts… Did you know? In 2003 American spent on average 50 dollars (£28) on a pair of sports shoes. Companies sponsor most top athletes. This means that they are paid a fortune to wear the company's products during a sporting competition. The Olympics is the biggest sporting event in the world attracting worldwide television viewers. This offers an ideal opportunity for sports companies to get their products seen. Questions: You may consider borrowing a variety of sports shoes from the physical education department in your school and conducting a full product analysis. How about conducting this simple test. Ask two equally matched runners to race against one another on a sports track. One of the runners uses spikes and the other uses ordinary trainers. Interview the two runners after the race and write down their comments. The runner with the spikes
should feel that he had more grip on the track. |
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Sports shoe guide
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