FOCUS ON LEVELLING
A PRECISION FINISH
Germany ’ s skeleton team race for medals using precision-levelled sled parts .
“ KOHLER levels high-strength steel sled parts for Germany ’ s skeleton team .”
Above : In skeleton , the athletes race down the ice channel head-first on a sled . Photo : International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation ( IBSF ).
Inset : The skeleton sleds are manufactured from stainless and high-strength steels . Photo : German Institute for the Research and Development of Sports Equipment ( FES ).
High-tech equipment for German top-class sporting athletes is the specialty of FES , the German Institute for the Research and Development of Sports Equipment . This is where equipment , including the sleds for the German skeleton team , are built .
Precision and quality are decisive when competing at international levels . KOHLER Maschinenbau GmbH has been responsible for precise and material-friendly levelling of these high-strength steel parts for the sleds since 2020 . Working with its technology partner , FES developed the individual sleds that saw the German “ Skeletoni ” team race to several medals at the 2021 World Championships .
Preparing for victory
“ Calm but fully focused , Christopher Grotheer stands at the start of the artificial ice track in Altenberg , Saxony ; it is one of the most challenging bobsleigh and luge tracks in the world . He wears a helmet with face and chin protection and holds a flat metal sled . It is Grotheer ’ s last run at the 2021 World Championships , and he is already in the top spot after the first three runs .
The starting signal sounds . Grotheer takes a run-up of a few metres , throws himself onto his sled and races head-first down the ice channel at up to 140km per hour . In less than a minute , the breakneck ride ends at the finish line . Run completed and , in the fastest time , Christopher Grotheer becomes the former and new skeleton world champion !”
Grotheer ’ s teammates were also able to celebrate success at the 2021 World Championships . In both the men ’ s and women ’ s events , the German team took first , third and fourth place , and in the mixed team competition it won gold and silver medals . This outstanding overall result was not only down to the impressive skills of the athletes but also to the quality of the sled material .
The skeleton sleds are required to comply with clearly defined regulations and must be individually tailored to the riders . Every change , no matter how small , can influence their running behaviour and spell the difference between victory and defeat .
An eye on precision
German winter sports athletes receive valuable support from FES , the German institute for the research and development of sports equipment . The Berlin-based institute sees itself as the technological centre of top-level sports for Germany and develops equipment for sports such as canoeing ; rowing ; cycling ; sailing ; speed skating as well as for bobsleigh , luge and skeleton .
“ Our aim is to develop sleds that have optimum running and sliding properties under a variety of conditions ,” explained Erik Zerbe , skeleton project manager at FES . “ This means that we must take into consideration aspects such as the riding ability and habits of the athlete as well as weather , temperature , ice quality and the characteristics of the track .”
To achieve a good result , the required angles , chamfers , surface structures and track courses on the sled must be matched with extreme precision - a very challenging task . The skeleton sleds are manufactured from stainless and high-strength steels with a thickness of between three and eight millimetres . They consist of cowling , a frame and two runners .
“ We can influence the properties and weight of the sports equipment by the material thickness and the type of steel used ,” said Zerbe . This is important , for example , because the sled and athlete together must not exceed a certain maximum weight so as not to skew the competition . “ In addition , of course , the precision of the workmanship plays a decisive role in whether a sled is ultimately suitable for competition or not ,” explained the expert .
Contract levelling of parts
The frame of the skeleton sled consists of several longitudinal and transverse struts , as well as base panels . These parts are levelled
56 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR December 2021 / January 2022