The sports and leisure sector is a demanding field in terms of constraints to be met. Sports equipment combines requirements that few other sectors bring together simultaneously. It must be lightweight for performance, resistant to impacts and intense stresses for safety, visually appealing for marketing purposes, and above all durable over time.
At Plastisart, we work with manufacturers of sports equipment, leisure accessories and outdoor gear who need custom plastic components in small and medium series. Our ability to work with technical materials, to combine several plastic transformation processes on a single part and to deliver premium finishes allows us to meet the demands of this market.
Design and prototyping
- Comprehensive support, from design to industrialization
- Detailed identification of your technical needs
- Advice on the choice of the most suitable technologies
The plastics requirements of the sports and leisure sector
Lightness
In sport, every gram counts. Thermoplastics offer a far superior strength-to-weight ratio than traditional materials such as aluminium or steel. Glass fibre or carbon-filled polyamides, PEEK and technical alloys allow lightweight structural parts to be produced without compromising mechanical strength.
Impact and fatigue resistance
Sports equipment is subjected to impacts, vibrations and repeated stress cycles. ABS, PC and impact-resistant polyamides are selected for their ability to absorb impacts without cracking, ensuring user safety over time.
UV resistance and outdoor conditions
Outdoor sports equipment is permanently exposed to UV radiation, humidity, thermal variations and salt water for water sports. UV-stabilised grades and intrinsically UV-resistant materials ensure that appearance and mechanical properties are maintained over seasons of intensive use.
Appearance and design
In the consumer leisure and sports sector, visual appearance is a major purchasing criterion. Visible plastic parts must feature refined finishes, vivid and stable colours, and surfaces resistant to everyday scratches.
Some examples of parts we produce for the sports and leisure sector
Marine and water sports equipment
Hulls, porthole domes, cockpit glazing and transparent protections for sailboats, motorboats and diving equipment in PMMA or polycarbonate. UV, salt water and impact resistance is essential for these marine applications. Our expertise in blow moulding and thermoforming of transparent plastics is particularly suited to large-dimension glazing and portholes.
Mountain and outdoor sports
Helmet shells, back protectors, navigation equipment housings and components for climbing and hiking gear. These parts combine maximum lightness, impact resistance at low temperatures and durability in extreme conditions. PC, PA and technical alloys are the reference materials we use for these applications.
Fitness and gym equipment
Protective covers, claddings for weight training machines, mechanical system covers and guide parts for fitness equipment. These parts must withstand intensive use, cleaning products and accidental impacts while maintaining an appearance suited to modern gym environments.
Motorised sports
Fairings, protective shells, dashboard claddings and bodywork parts for karts, quads, motocross bikes and small-series motorsport vehicles. Thermoforming and RIM injection allow us to produce large-surface parts with the finish and strength required for these applications.
Leisure and play equipment
Play structures for children, playground equipment, outdoor leisure furniture and parts for board games and technical toys. For these applications, we comply with safety requirements (no sharp edges, compliance with EN 71 standards for toys), UV resistance for outdoor installations and long-term durability.
The different materials we use for this sector
- ABS and PC for impact-resistant claddings and shells
- UV-stabilised PC for transparent or opaque outdoor applications
- PMMA for optical glazing and marine portholes
- Glass fibre-filled PA for lightweight structural parts with high mechanical strength
- HDPE for equipment exposed to water and UV
- ASA (UV resistance superior to ABS) for coloured outdoor parts
Why trust Plastisart for your custom plastic components?
The sports and leisure sector requires materials that perform as well as the athletes who use them. At Plastisart, our range of technical thermoplastics, our mastery of transformation processes and our ability to produce parts that are lightweight, resistant and aesthetically refined allow us to meet the requirements of equipment manufacturers in this sector.
