Summary
Cobra Golf wanted to change the game by creating an iron that improves performance for players at any level, with the look and feel of a pro model. Reusable workflows saved a year of development time, while latticing in nTop enabled mass to be redistributed for optimal sound and performance.
About: Cobra Golf, a leader in golf innovation and 3D-printed clubs, used nTop to design the new LIMIT3D® irons, the world’s first commercially available 3D- printed irons.
- Size: ~200 employees
- Location: Carlsbad, California
Video: Behind the design of the LIMIT3D Irons
The project
A game-improvement iron with the look and feel of a better player’s club
Amateur golfers love the look and feel of forged blades that are the preferred choice of professionals, but pro-level irons are often difficult for less-skilled golfers to hit consistently.
LIMIT3D is here to change that. It’s the first commercially available 3D-printed iron — a compact player's blade profile with a soft forged feel and the forgiveness of a game-improvement iron.
To develop these irons, Cobra needed a fast and reliable way to get complete control over weight and mass distribution.
The challenge
Design a performance-enhancing internal lattice structure
Cobra needed to reduce and redistribute weight, manage the club’s sound and feedback, and get to market fast. They needed 3D printing to achieve these goals.
They knew an internal lattice design was the answer, but it wasn’t possible with traditional design tools, which required tedious manual manipulation of lattice cells.
When we started using nTop, it was like all of a sudden we’d strapped a rocket engine to our backs. We could take one workflow and apply it to different projects. The speed with which you can create and iterate is game-changing.
Ryan Roach
Director of Innovation , Cobra Puma Golf
The solution
Deliver game-changing performance through redistributing mass and sound optimization.
The irons had to have the right characteristics to accomplish Cobra’s goals. With a computational design approach based in nTop, Cobra could generate, visualize, explore, and evaluate designs quickly.
They used lattices to redistribute weight from the center of the club to areas low in the toe and heel of the club to improve forgiveness and distance. They also tried different configurations and unit cell styles to get a vibration frequency that produced a satisfying sound and feel at impact.
The new irons deliver on game-improvement goals and have the premium look and feel players want.
The results
- 1 year faster
- Time to market
- 33% mass
- Saved and redistributed
- Eliminated
- Cost of tooling
As we evaluated design tools, nTop’s computational design software rose to the top because of its functionality, speed and ability to work within our existing workflow.
Ryan Roach
Director of Innovation , Cobra Puma Golf
Why nTop?
nTop’s latticing capabilities gave Cobra complete control over weight and mass distribution. This enabled them to improve sound frequency and overall performance. Further, nTop’s ability to create reusable workflows, along with easy integrations, cut Cobra’s time to market by a year.
Faster iteration
Cobra reused the nTop workflow they’d created for a 3D-printed putter to design the LIMIT3D iron fast. Starting from that original workflow, they were able to tweak the lattice structure as needed without having to waste time remodeling complex geometry.
Mass redistribution
To improve performance, they used lattice structures to cut 33% of the club head’s weight and redistribute it to the perimeter of the club. This shifted the club’s center of gravity, improving both forgiveness and distance.
Designing for sound and vibration
Another key aspect of club design is the mechanical feedback and sound made on impact.
To achieve a premium sound and feel, they had to make sure the iron wouldn’t resonate and produce unwanted sound at impact.
Cobra explored several lattice configurations and unit cell styles to achieve a satisfying vibration frequency, while simultaneously optimizing for manufacturability and durability.
Design for manufacturing
Cobra used nTop to tweak the design for manufacturability by changing build orientation and lattice orientation, exploring multiple unit cell styles to explore relative stiffness and printability.
This enabled them to create a 3D-printed club head that could be manufactured at scale.
Easy integrations
The ability to easily and quickly transfer nTop implicit models into Cobra’s established CAD software helped speed up and simplify production.
Conclusion
Using a computational design approach with nTop enabled Cobra Golf to give amateur golfers a sleek-looking iron that’s still as forgiving as a game-improvement club. And in the process, they saved a year in design time and brought a game-changing, first-of-its-kind product to market.
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