CARBON FIBRE REINFORCED THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE SNOWBOARD BINDINGS
Union Binding chooses XECARB ST, Xenia’s carbon fiber-reinforced material, to produce lighter and higher-performance snowboard bindings.
In modern snowboard equipment, performance is defined by the ability to combine precision, responsiveness and lightweight design.
Whether riding aggressive freeride lines or tackling demanding backcountry tours, snowboard bindings must ensure efficient power transfer, structural reliability and reduced weight, allowing riders to maintain control and precision in constantly changing mountain conditions.
For manufacturers, this translates into stringent material requirements.
Structural components such as baseplates must combine:
HIGH RIGIDITY
IMPACT RESISTANCE
LOW DENSITY
RELIABILITY AT LOW TEMPERATURE
These performance targets are pushing the winter sports industry toward advanced composite materials, particularly carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastics, which allow engineers to achieve high performance traditionally associated with metal components, while enabling lightweight and complex geometries through injection moulding.
Union Binding chooses Xenia Materials for high-performance snowboard bindings
Union Binding Company has selected one of Xenia’s XECARB ST polyamide solutions for the baseplate frame of two high-performance snowboard binding models:
Union Source FC
Union Source FC
Union Charger FC
Union Charger FC
When developing these bindings, engineers were seeking a high-strength polyamide material capable of matching the mechanical performance of traditional glass fibre reinforced materials, while enabling significant weight reduction.
Reduced weight, enhanced performance
Among the materials evaluated, XECARB ST delivered the most effective balance between structural performance and weight optimisation.
The result was a 30% reduction in the weight of the final baseplate component, compared with the reference glass fibre reinforced solution, while maintaining mechanical properties very close to the target requirements.
*The indicated percentage represents an average value.
Carbon fibre reinforcement also enhances stiffness and load distribution, improving power transfer and responsiveness. It reduces shrinkage and thermal expansion, ensuring greater dimensional stability and consistent performance in variable conditions, while contributing to improved fatigue resistance under cyclic loads.
“We continuously focus on improving performance, comfort and overall riding feel with every new product we develop. Our approach is centred on exploring and implementing new technologies that enhance these key attributes, ensuring that each new binding delivers measurable improvements on snow. During our material evaluation process, Xenia’s XECARB ST delivered the best overall performance, offering significant weight savings while maintaining mechanical properties very close to our reference material.”
– Said Riley Goodwin, Union Binding’s Global Marketing Manager.
XECARB® ST: carbon fibre reinforced polyamide engineered for toughness and lightweight design
XECARB ST is Xenia’s family of carbon fibre reinforced materials enhanced with the Super Tough Upgrade technology.
The XECARB ST portfolio is based on advanced polyamide matrices, including both short-chain and long-chain polyamides, designed to deliver a tailored balance between stiffness, toughness and environmental resistance, while maintaining low weight.
The Super Tough (ST) Upgrade is designed to significantly enhance the impact resistance and durability of carbon fibre reinforced composites without compromising their intrinsic stiffness and lightweight characteristics.
