PLASTICS IN WINTER SPORTS
Equipment manufacturers pray for more snow / Consolidation process expected to continue / Global market of EUR 1.5 bn / Semi-finished goods producers feel the pressure, too
Already a preferred material for many manufacturing applications, plastics have moved into the winter sports segment with unanticipated success. Ski side walls and gliding surfaces are now made from ABS and polyamide, in bindings, metal has been replaced by components of high-performance plastics. Only 40% of all ski cores today consist of a wood-based sandwich construction, while 60% are made from PU or composite materials.
The global market for skis, snowboards, ski boots, ski sticks and components has a sales volume of about EUR 1.5 bn, with around 90% rung up in the European market. Worldwide, around 20m alpine and nordic ski components are produced annually. As one would expect, the largest manufacturers are in the countries with the most ski resorts. Some 4.2m pairs of skis were sold in 2002-2003, the largest share in the US (815,000 pairs), followed by Germany (580,000), Austria (490,000), France (415,000) and Italy (260,000).
Disappointed after last season´s sluggish sales, the ski equipment industry hoped that figures for the 2003-2004 ski season would be better. In January, Roger Talermo, managing director of Amer Group (FIN-00610 Helsinki; www.amersports.com), parent of Atomic Austria (A-5541 Altenmarkt; www.atomicsnow.com) was cautiously optimistic. However, figures for 2003 showed a 6% fall in sales to EUR 188.5m and a drop in operating profit to EUR 28.3m from Eur 39.6m.
French manufacturer Rossignol (HQ: F-38960 St. Etienne de Crossey; www.rossignolcorporate.com) is looking for a sales increase. In 2002-2003, the company sold only 1.2m pairs of its “Rossignol” and “Dynastar” ski brands worldwide, down 3.2% against 2001-2002. Sales in the winter sports segment altogether totalled EUR 347.9m, about 24% of the world market.
Slovenia´s Elan (SLO-4275 Begunje na Gorenjskem; www.elanskis.com), with a volume of 410,000 pairs sold worldwide, does not hold much hope for a significant recovery this year. The generally dismal situation among German consumers alone is sufficient reason for the company to expect another 5% drop in overall sales compared with the previous season. Elan said it has been hit particularly hard by the trend towards renting ski equipment.
Consolidation among producers
Continued slack business in the winter sports industry is forcing a shake-out in the market, with only about seven to eight major players expected to remain. To stay in business, each would have to produce significantly more than 400,000 pairs of skis. Producers such as Völkl Austria GmbH (A-4770 Andorf; www.voelkl.com) with 420,000 pairs, and Elan are only just inside of this bracket. To push business forward, Amer has hinted at plans for acquisitions worth some EUR 300m.
The cold wind blowing in the winter sports industry´s face is not only from the competition, but also the environment. A UN study forecasts that in the wake of climate changes the snow-line in Austria can be expected to rise by up to 300m over the next 30 to 50 years. At 760m, Kitzbühel would be a prominent casualty. In Switzerland, only 44% ski resorts, compared with 85% at present, would have guaranteed snow.
Semi-finished plastics manufacturers feel the bite
Manufacturers of semi-finished plastics products are also affected when sales in the winter sports segment decline. The mainly extruded thermoplastic components used for these applications are often made from modified ABS processed into films with a thickness of 0.4-12mm.
Isosport Verbundbauteile (A-7000 Eisenstadt; www.isosport.com), a winter sports industry supplier and part of the Constantia-ISO group (A-1010 Wien), claims to be international leader in polymers for ski and snowboard production. With 66% of sales, these products, mainly side walls, running bases and cores, are also the most segments with the strongest performance. Last year, the company used about 10,000 t of polymers, mainly ABS, PA and TPU. After two record years, sales fell in 2002 and the downslide is expected to continue.
Italy´s centre for ski boots is Montebelluna
While extrusion is the process most often used for the ski production, injection moulding is used more for ski boots. The Italian city of Montebelluna, about 50 km north of Venice, is a production centre for sports shoes and boots. All major manufacturers have subsidiaries nearby, as many small suppliers do business in the area. The last remaining family-run firm, Calfacaturificio DalBello (I-31010 Casella D´Asolo; www.dalbello.it) has annual output of about 430,00 pairs of ski boots. The company has developed a new type of boot with a transparent TPU skin that reveals the interior.
Grupo Technica (I-31040 Giavera del Montello; www.tecnica.it) produces more than 1.1m pairs of skis and boots. Following its acquisition of Nordica (I-31040 Trevignano; www.nordica.com) in February 2003, Technica, with its “Lowa” (ski) and “Dolomite” (boot) brands, now controls 33% of the market. It has replaced the former leader adidas-Salomon (D-91074 Herzogenaurach; www.adidas-salomon.com), which now holds only 27%.
PU supplants wood as a core for inexpensive skis
There have also been significant technological developments in the winter sports market. Modern ski bindings are no longer attached directly but rather via an integrated board. A TPE padding now makes the connection and covers the gaps, while also absorbing shocks and vibrations. Kraiburg TPE (D-84478 Waldkraiburg; www.kraiburg.de) has reacted to this trend by introducing a new TPE compound range under the name “Thermolast K”. This permits the integration of other elements into the injection moulded component.
While many mass-produced skis are still made with inexpensive and sturdy wooden cores, plastic cores have become increasingly popular. These are usually made from PU, occasionally from epoxy resin. The latter have the disadvantage of weight and lack of elasticity. One of the more recent developments, in this case from Fischer (A-4910 Ried; www.fischer-ski.com) for cross-country skiing, is a honeycombed core made from paper with a polymer resin coating. Fischer has also introduced the “Cross Carver” with a glass- or carbon-fibre core, which lowers the weight of these short but wide boards by 20%.
Elastomers are the main material used for shock-absorbing intermediate layers. The top surfaces, top edges and side walls are mostly made from ABS, while HDPE with a variety of modifications for improved gliding properties seems to be the preferred material for running or gliding surfaces. This material however, is currently under pressure from an emerging contender, polyacetal. These polymers provide superior impact resistance at temperatures as low as -20 0C.
The global market for skis, snowboards, ski boots, ski sticks and components has a sales volume of about EUR 1.5 bn, with around 90% rung up in the European market. Worldwide, around 20m alpine and nordic ski components are produced annually. As one would expect, the largest manufacturers are in the countries with the most ski resorts. Some 4.2m pairs of skis were sold in 2002-2003, the largest share in the US (815,000 pairs), followed by Germany (580,000), Austria (490,000), France (415,000) and Italy (260,000).
Disappointed after last season´s sluggish sales, the ski equipment industry hoped that figures for the 2003-2004 ski season would be better. In January, Roger Talermo, managing director of Amer Group (FIN-00610 Helsinki; www.amersports.com), parent of Atomic Austria (A-5541 Altenmarkt; www.atomicsnow.com) was cautiously optimistic. However, figures for 2003 showed a 6% fall in sales to EUR 188.5m and a drop in operating profit to EUR 28.3m from Eur 39.6m.
French manufacturer Rossignol (HQ: F-38960 St. Etienne de Crossey; www.rossignolcorporate.com) is looking for a sales increase. In 2002-2003, the company sold only 1.2m pairs of its “Rossignol” and “Dynastar” ski brands worldwide, down 3.2% against 2001-2002. Sales in the winter sports segment altogether totalled EUR 347.9m, about 24% of the world market.
Slovenia´s Elan (SLO-4275 Begunje na Gorenjskem; www.elanskis.com), with a volume of 410,000 pairs sold worldwide, does not hold much hope for a significant recovery this year. The generally dismal situation among German consumers alone is sufficient reason for the company to expect another 5% drop in overall sales compared with the previous season. Elan said it has been hit particularly hard by the trend towards renting ski equipment.
Consolidation among producers
Continued slack business in the winter sports industry is forcing a shake-out in the market, with only about seven to eight major players expected to remain. To stay in business, each would have to produce significantly more than 400,000 pairs of skis. Producers such as Völkl Austria GmbH (A-4770 Andorf; www.voelkl.com) with 420,000 pairs, and Elan are only just inside of this bracket. To push business forward, Amer has hinted at plans for acquisitions worth some EUR 300m.
The cold wind blowing in the winter sports industry´s face is not only from the competition, but also the environment. A UN study forecasts that in the wake of climate changes the snow-line in Austria can be expected to rise by up to 300m over the next 30 to 50 years. At 760m, Kitzbühel would be a prominent casualty. In Switzerland, only 44% ski resorts, compared with 85% at present, would have guaranteed snow.
Semi-finished plastics manufacturers feel the bite
Manufacturers of semi-finished plastics products are also affected when sales in the winter sports segment decline. The mainly extruded thermoplastic components used for these applications are often made from modified ABS processed into films with a thickness of 0.4-12mm.
Isosport Verbundbauteile (A-7000 Eisenstadt; www.isosport.com), a winter sports industry supplier and part of the Constantia-ISO group (A-1010 Wien), claims to be international leader in polymers for ski and snowboard production. With 66% of sales, these products, mainly side walls, running bases and cores, are also the most segments with the strongest performance. Last year, the company used about 10,000 t of polymers, mainly ABS, PA and TPU. After two record years, sales fell in 2002 and the downslide is expected to continue.
Italy´s centre for ski boots is Montebelluna
While extrusion is the process most often used for the ski production, injection moulding is used more for ski boots. The Italian city of Montebelluna, about 50 km north of Venice, is a production centre for sports shoes and boots. All major manufacturers have subsidiaries nearby, as many small suppliers do business in the area. The last remaining family-run firm, Calfacaturificio DalBello (I-31010 Casella D´Asolo; www.dalbello.it) has annual output of about 430,00 pairs of ski boots. The company has developed a new type of boot with a transparent TPU skin that reveals the interior.
Grupo Technica (I-31040 Giavera del Montello; www.tecnica.it) produces more than 1.1m pairs of skis and boots. Following its acquisition of Nordica (I-31040 Trevignano; www.nordica.com) in February 2003, Technica, with its “Lowa” (ski) and “Dolomite” (boot) brands, now controls 33% of the market. It has replaced the former leader adidas-Salomon (D-91074 Herzogenaurach; www.adidas-salomon.com), which now holds only 27%.
PU supplants wood as a core for inexpensive skis
There have also been significant technological developments in the winter sports market. Modern ski bindings are no longer attached directly but rather via an integrated board. A TPE padding now makes the connection and covers the gaps, while also absorbing shocks and vibrations. Kraiburg TPE (D-84478 Waldkraiburg; www.kraiburg.de) has reacted to this trend by introducing a new TPE compound range under the name “Thermolast K”. This permits the integration of other elements into the injection moulded component.
While many mass-produced skis are still made with inexpensive and sturdy wooden cores, plastic cores have become increasingly popular. These are usually made from PU, occasionally from epoxy resin. The latter have the disadvantage of weight and lack of elasticity. One of the more recent developments, in this case from Fischer (A-4910 Ried; www.fischer-ski.com) for cross-country skiing, is a honeycombed core made from paper with a polymer resin coating. Fischer has also introduced the “Cross Carver” with a glass- or carbon-fibre core, which lowers the weight of these short but wide boards by 20%.
Elastomers are the main material used for shock-absorbing intermediate layers. The top surfaces, top edges and side walls are mostly made from ABS, while HDPE with a variety of modifications for improved gliding properties seems to be the preferred material for running or gliding surfaces. This material however, is currently under pressure from an emerging contender, polyacetal. These polymers provide superior impact resistance at temperatures as low as -20 0C.
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18.03.2004 Plasteurope.com [13346]
Published on 18.03.2004