Airless Basketball Prototype – Basketball is a global sport with a long history of change. It has brought people together and has helped them through difficult times.
It also has a rich history of iconic players who changed the way basketball is played. From Kobe Bryant to Michael Jordan, these players changed the game on and off the court.
Airless Basketball Prototype is Bouncy:
Sports gear manufacturer Wilson has reinvented the basketball with a high-tech prototype that doesn’t need air to bounce. It’s the first ball innovation since Butler University’s head basketball coach Tony Hinkle got Spalding to start making easy-to-see orange balls in 1957.
This new basketball uses a 3D-printed lattice structure with research-grade materials to replicate the bounce movement of a traditional basketball. It has a black, see-through lattice with eight panel-like “lobes” and does not require any inflation.
Revolutionary 3D-Printed Airless Basketball Prototype Used in Slam Dunk Contest:
The ball’s design was created by computational design firm General Lattice. It then sent the file to industrial 3D-printing company EOS, which usually works with aerospace, automotive, and medical device companies for its additive manufacturing process.
EOS took the stl file and used SLS technology to create the basketball. They also used smoothing (a type of post-processing that involves making the surfaces smooth and uniform) and DyeMansion dye to penetrate the polymeric surface. Houston Rockets’ KJ Martin tried out the new ball in the first round of the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday night.
It’s Durable
Despite the fact that this ball doesn’t need air to bounce, it still maintains its bounce due to a 3D lattice structure and research-grade materials. The holes in the basketball are arranged into a 3D lattice, and they mimic the binding pattern of traditional leather balls to make it easy for players to grip them.
It’s Flexible:
The ball is also made from a laser sintered powder of a proprietary custom elastomeric material that’s suited for the needs of the basketball. The lattice structure and elastomeric material make the ball lightweight, durable, and flexible.
Wilson Sporting Goods, the official supplier of balls to the NBA, developed this new prototype. It’s been tested by Wilson’s NBA test facility and it has nearly the same weight, size and bounce as a properly inflated (7.5-8.5 psi) regulation basketball.
It’s Lightweight:
Wilson, the company that produces the official NBA basketball, has unveiled its Airless Basketball Prototype, which does not need to be inflated before use. It is a 3D-printed creation that features a surface of hexagonal holes, which allow air to pass in and out.
The sports equipment manufacturer says that this new design has almost the same weight, size and bounce as a properly inflated (7.5-8.5 psi) regulation basketball. It made its debut during the 2023 NBA All-Star Game’s slam dunk contest introduced by Houston Rockets forward KJ Martin.
EOS 3D-Printing Technology Creates Solid and Lightweight Basketball:
The basketball was designed on a computer system, which was then translated to a 3D-printer file. The ball was printed by an industrial 3D printing firm called EOS, which typically contracts with the aerospace, automotive and medical device industries.
The firm’s additive manufacturing process lays down a dusting of powered resin and then fuses it at the design points with a laser, creating a solid, durable, and lightweight structure.
It’s Easy to Maintain:
In order to give its basketball a proper bounce, Wilson needed a ball that was bouncy without air. So, it teamed up with EOS, an industrial 3D-printing company that usually contracts with aerospace, automotive, and medical industries.
EOS 3D-Printing with Precision: Wilson’s Proof-of-Concept Basketball Passes Rigorous Testing:
Unlike traditional 3D printers, which simply pile on a material layer by layer, EOS printers lay down a dusting of powered resin and fuse it at design points with a laser. Final processing included powder sealing, blackening the white ball, and engraving the NBA and Wilson logos on its surface.
The proof-of-concept was then sent to Wilson’s NBA test facility, which put it through “rigorous testing.” It ended up having the same weight, shape and bounce as a properly inflated (7.5-8.5 psi) regulation NBA ball. It made its debut during the 2023 NBA All-Star Game’s slam dunk contest, introduced by Houston Rockets power forward KJ Martin.
