Norplex-Micarta Develop Wear Resistant Composite Skate Park Material

Norplex-Micarta have developed SkatePlate 3000, a new composite material for skate parks made from a reinforced natural fibre.

Norplex-Micarta, developer of high performance thermoset composites, have introduced a tough, non-splintering surface that they claim is wear resistant, abrasion resistant, and moisture resistant for skateboarders, roller skaters, and stunt bikers.

SkatePlate 3000 is a composite made by fusing a weather resistant resin system into a natural fibre reinforced core under heat and pressure. This thin composite material has already been installed in several skate parks throughout the US, including the curved skate sections at Father Marinaro’s State Park in Butler, PA.

According to the company, SkatePlate 3000 will be used to cover the remaining sections of the park in the summer to replace splintered plywood, which failed after less than two years of normal use. Easy to install, SkatePlate 3000 is bondable to frames and subsurfaces with adhesives, nails, or screws.

The company have designed the material to withstand low thermal expansion and contraction (-30° to +110°F), but primarily to provide excellent wear resistance for long life, in either indoor or outdoor environments.

The material also has optimal performance characteristics for skaters, including a surface that provides a solid grip, but allows skaters to perform controlled slips as needed.

Source

NetComposites.com May 13, 2005.

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