Addpad

What it does

Addpad is a modular padel racket formed by two easily separable parts that contributes to improve the user experience by betting on sustainability and repairability, and the customization of the properties of racket's core.

Your inspiration

Nowadays, the padel is having an exponential growth. However, the design, materials and manufacturing processes of today's padel rackets mean that this product has a short lifetime, that it cannot be recycled and that it is not a very sustainable process. From the concern of the author of the project as a padel player, Addpad was created to generate an impact on the design of padel rackets and to raise awareness among players by offering them a more sustainable product.

How it works

Addpad consists of two components: the frame and the core. Each part is designed for the additive manufacturing technology selected, as they are complex geometries, with a low production volume due to customization, and offer an automated process. The racket concept is based on a frame that, thanks to the flexing of the material, opens and closes, wraps around the core of the racket and holds it in place with the snap, and closes by the handle area. Being a functional product, the final geometry is validated by multiple iterations of simulations and optimizations. Addpad proposes two frame designs depending on the user's needs: one in aluminum printed with SLM technology and with topologically optimized geometry, and the other in Onyx material with continuous carbon fiber reinforcement printed with Markforged technology. The TPU core has been designed to reproduce the bounce of the ball desired by each player, with the high control of its latice structures.

Design process

This final degree project has followed Elisava's Industrial Design Engineering Methodology, defined by 3 phases: inspiration, ideation and implementation. In the inspiration phase, at the beginning of the project, an exhaustive study of the padel context, its users, the paddle market and its materials and manufacturing processes has been carried out, in order to find several problems and insights. Being an innovative product, it has no precedents, however, products from other sports have been taken as references. In the ideation phase, the value proposition that solves the problems was determined. At this point, multiple concepts, sketches and 3D models have been generated to materialize the proposal. Also, the knowledge of additive manufacturing has been deepened and 10 samples of lattices and a frame have been printed as first prototypes. Finally, in the implementation phase, more than 100 simulations of the structures have been carried out to guarantee the functionality of the product and the joints have been designed in detail. Lastly, the final prototypes have been printed and tested to obtain feedback from the users.

How it is different

Some of the most prominent design trends in the world of sports today are personalization and sustainability. However, these qualities have not been fully exploited in the design of padel rackets. In terms of customization, Addpad is the first padel racket that allows to customize the rebound properties of the ball, meaning that the geometry of the lattice and the distribution of weights in the racket adapts to each player. In terms of sustainability, it is the first modular racket that can be easily divided to extend its useful life and can be recycled in parts without being impregnated with resins, as is the case with current rackets. In addition, there is no precedent of padel racket printed entirely in 3D or with the materials used. Therefore, innovation is based on the new concept of padel racket, with new materials, new technologies, more customization, offering a modular product and betting on sustainability.

Future plans

After the prototypes have been manufactured and tested, all feedback will be used to make future iterations of the design to achieve a racket that meets the needs of users. One of the most key aspects is to lower the weight and stiffen the joint to avoid vibrations. In the future, it would be ideal to collaborate with a padel company to bring the product to market, thus providing players with a more sustainable racket. Likewise, this design could be extended to other racquet sports.

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