Just as soccer introduced the ball with technology that helped detect misalignment, alternatives to basketball are also being sought with advances such as 3D printing.

WilsonA company that manufactures balls NBADeveloped a product that does not require inflation and instead has a perforated structure that allows air to circulate for normal operation.

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“With eight panel-shaped lobes and a familiar seam structure, this is a ball unlike anything we’ve ever seen, designed to play like the basketball we’ve always known,” the company wrote on its website.

This ball has already been tested during the competition’s All Star event during Houston Rockets player KJ Martin’s hoop shot show, with no effect on athletic performance.

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Airless prototype

Traditionally, the ball NBA It’s made with synthetic leather straps for the most part and has rubber chambers inside that are filled with air to bounce around. But with this project, called Airless Prototype, a lot is changing.

Based on the same concept of airless tires, the company has designed a ball that has no tubes to inflate it, instead taking shape thanks to 3D printing of synthetic material. The construction features small hex holes that allow for bounce on the ground, and the typical lines of traditional ball seams have been added to facilitate grip.

for 3D printing, The process is as follows: first the design is done on the computer and then the system uses a laser to draw a pattern that creates small holes in the structure of the white polymer powder and melts it into a hardened sheet.

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The process is repeated layer by layer until the ball shape is obtained. It is then stripped of its powder coat, cleaned and taken to the car to be painted matte black. All this work is done in conjunction with EOS, a German printing company that uses SLS technology to turn a system file into a printed basketball.

The results of the tests were satisfactory, as they went along with the traditional balls. Although the company responsible claims that it still has work to do to get it to official competition, such as solving the issue of wind resistance during its launch, weight and rebound on the board. For now, they hope to have it on sale soon.

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3D printing in sports

This technology already has several use cases in other sports activities. Initially, limb prostheses were made for athletes with physical disabilities.

Other cases include the production of personalized tools such as bicycle handlebars that fit each individual’s hand, especially for amateur sports.

For elite venues, the German Olympic teams have contracted with BMW to produce customized equipment. 3D printing For these activities that focus on sledding.