Reinvention plays a crucial part in innovation and Cobra’s LE 3D printed Supersport-35 Putter represents a revolutionary advancement in the way golf clubs are designed and manufactured.
Cobra Golf has announced the first of its revolutionary products featuring 3D printing technology. The King Supersport-35 putter, developed over the past two years in collaboration with Cobra engineers and the teams at HP and Parmatech, features a fully 3D printed metal body with an intricate lattice structure to optimise weight distribution and deliver the highest-possible moment of inertia (MOI) in a blade shape.
Born out of a forward-thinking philosophy, Cobra selected HP as its partner to pioneer 3D printing in golf due to the advantages that their Metal Jet Technology presented over traditional manufacturing and other 3D printing methods. With its quicker processing time, and greater design adaptability, its engineers were able to design, prototype and test multiple iterations and bring the product to market much faster than traditional manufacturing methods.
Cobra and HP began working together in early 2019 and, by early 2020, the team had created 35 different design iterations over the course of eight months. In addition to this launch, the brands are working together on a strategic, multi-year product roadmap, that leverages the design and manufacturing benefits of HP’s additive technologies to deliver future golf equipment that raises performance and golfer satisfaction to new levels. This is just the first foray into what promises to be a significant element in future Cobra golf clubs. Cobra has plans to launch two additional products in 2021 that feature 3D printed technology.
‘To continue innovating and transforming the way equipment is manufactured, we worked with HP and Parmatech to take advantage of the benefits of Metal Jet technology,’ said Jose Miraflor, Vice President of Marketing, Cobra Golf. During the development of the King Supersport-35 Putter, we saw immediate benefits from this process, including design freedom, rapid design iteration and high-quality parts that meet our economic demands. 3D printing is accelerating design innovation, and this breakthrough putter will help usher in a new era for the sporting equipment industry at large.’
‘The power of personalisation enabled by 3D printing delivers completely reimagined consumer products and experiences,’ said Uday Yadati, global head of HP Metal Jet, HP Inc. ‘This first of its kind putter is a shining example of the disruptive design and production capabilities of HP Metal Jet 3D printing technology. Cobra’s commitment to innovation and competitive excellence combined with the technical expertise and leadership from Parmatech has led to a breakthrough design win for golf fans around the world.’
COBRA’s Supersport putter, which comes in an oversized blade shape, features SIK Golf’s Patented Descending Loft technology reengineered into an aluminum face insert. This insert design strategically saves weight from the front of the putter to be repositioned heel-toe and tunes the feel to a slightly softer feel than a traditional all-steel SIK putter face. Their signature face design utilises four descending lofts (4°, 3°, 2°, 1°) to ensure the most consistent launch conditions for every putting stroke. The exciting partnership, born out of work with SIK Golf partner and COBRA ambassador, Bryson DeChambeau, yields flatsticks that not only provide superior stability and consistency due to 3D printing technology but also significantly improved consistency and roll performance.
‘I’ve had a lot of success over the years with my SIK putter and was really excited to work with COBRA to develop a new way to manufacture equipment and bring this new putter to market,’ said DeChambeau. ‘HP’s Metal Jet technology is an incredibly advanced production method and very exacting, which is pretty critical in golf equipment. I think golfers of all levels will benefit from the combination of COBRA’s high MOI design and SIK’s Descending Loft technology.’
HP Metal Jet 3D printing requires minimal post-process finishing. The entire putter body is printed using 316 stainless steel, and then sintered at a high temperature to bind the metal and form the final head part. Due to the advanced capabilities of Metal Jet printing, engineers were able to print an intricate lattice structure within the body – a manufacturing feat that would not be possible using traditional casting or forging methods.
The lattice fine tunes feel and optimises the distribution of weight within the putter head to create the highest MOI without the need for additional fixed weights. During the final step of the manufacturing process, the surfaces of the putter are precision milled using a Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) machine to ensure precise shaping and detail while adding the finishing touches to the cosmetic. The Supersport features a high MOI heel-toe weighted design for maximum stability, and a plumber neck hosel with a 35-degree toe hang suitable for slight arc putting strokes.
‘HP’s 3D printing technology allows us to use a complex lattice structure to remove weight from the centre of the putterhead and push significant amounts of weight to the perimeter,’ said Miraflor. ‘The result is superior MOI levels and massively increased stability and forgiveness. So not only is the 3D production method more consistent but it also allows us to design products in a new and superior way.’
HP
www.hp.com
