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Composites in Fishing Rods. Marc Crans Chris Henderson Matthew Leroux Deryl Sedran. History of Fishing Rods. Traditional materials included bamboo and other types of wood Bamboo still used because of good dampening properties Steel rods introduced in early 1900s
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Composites in Fishing Rods Marc Crans Chris Henderson Matthew Leroux DerylSedran
History of Fishing Rods • Traditional materials included bamboo and other types of wood • Bamboo still used because of good dampening properties • Steel rods introduced in early 1900s • Fiberglass rods introduced in 1940s • Carbon fiber rods introduced in 1970s
Modern Fishing Rod Materials • Woven fiberglass composites • Carbon fiber composites (often mislabeled as graphite) • Boron and various ceramics sometimes used for fibers • Split bamboo rods still fairly common
Ideal Fishing Rod Properties • Flexibility • Light weight • Fatigue resistance • Withstand Environmental Conditions
Fishing Rod Specifications • Classified in 3 ways: • Power – Strength of rod, how far it will bend • Light, ML, Medium, MH, Heavy • Action – How the rod flexes and how quickly the tip returns to neutral • slow, medium, fast, extra fast • Modulus – Rod materials (usually fibers) • low, medium, high
Fishing Rod Specifications Action Power
Fishing Rod Specifications Optimum rod depends on fishing technique: • Trolling/ Downrigging: Fiberglass, heavy, med action • Crankbaits/Spinners: Carbon fiber, med action • Soft Plastics: High modulus, fast or extra fast action
Fishing Rod Design • Geometries • Tapering • Action Geometries • Wall Thickness • Length • Composite Materials • Carbon Fiber / Epoxy Resin • Fiber Glass
Manufacturing • A pre-impregnated synthetic fibre sheet is hand cut into a particular shape which varies by rod type • The specific weave and weight of the sheets are specially designed for each manufacturer • The cut-out is wrapped around a tapered steel mandrel and hot rolled
Manufacturing • Majority of the fibres are lined up along the length of the mandrel (80-90%) • A thin polymer film is wrapped around the mandrel before heat treating it to cure the resin • The polymer film shrinks increasing pressure on the blank as the resin hardens • Blank is removed from the film and mandrel, sanded then coated in protective materials.
Thank you for your attention Any questions?