DEVELOPMENT OF A HYBRID GOLF HEAD USING SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES AND COST-EFFICIENT MATERIALS

As golf equipment has progressively advanced over the twenty-first century, an increase in expensive metals and unsustainable materials are being used to improve these golf heads’ strengths and performances. The addition of titanium and carbon fiber has allowed golfers to hit the ball further and with greater precision. In this investigation and project, the overall objective is to create a functioning hybrid golf head that can perform similarly to existing clubs already on the market. Moreover, it was essential to create a sustainable hybrid golf head that substitutes the use of carbon fiber with ABS thermoplastic and reduces the material cost with the substitution of 316L stainless steel instead of titanium or tungsten. With the use of SolidWorks, a final design was created and then optimized through a SolidWorks Nonlinear Dynamic analysis, which evaluated parameters of overall strength and performance as functions of the shell thickness; specifically, the von Mises stresses of the hybrid golf head were compared, and the exit velocities of a golf ball were reported. In addition, with the help of SUNY New Paltz and the Hudson Valley Additive Manufacturing Center, a final design was 3D printed using 316L stainless steel. It was later tested using the Union College golf simulator.