Pickleball Paddles FAQ

1.What is the technology of cold pressing in the production of pickleball paddles?

  Cold pressing is the process of coating fiberglass or carbon fiber plates with epoxy resin which can cure at room temperature, then placing PP or aramid honeycomb between the two plates, and finally pressing them together with pressing machines for 2-4 hours to let the expoxy cure naturedly, no need to elevate the temperature, then come out to honeycomb sandwich panel, that’s why called cold pressing.

2.What is the technology of integrated molding, or thermoforming, in the production of pickleball paddles?

   Integrated molding is also known as thermoforming. Firstly, cut the glass fiber plate or carbon fiber plate to the size of the mold and coat with epoxy resin; then, place the honeycomb between the two plates, put them into the mold and fill with the fiber materials along the edge sides. finally, put the mold into a machine that can increase the temperature and pressure to get the epoxy resin and carbon fiber plates cured, to make the paddle molded by raising the temperature between 80-120℃. This is the thermoforming technology.

3.What’s different between cold pressing and thermoforming paddle?

   Cold pressed paddles are made by pressing together fiberglass or carbon fiber plates with honeycomb core, then cutting by a CNC cutting machine, and then assembled with edge guards and grips. This process doesn’t need to raise the temperature to cure the materials and there is no injected foam materials on the edge sides of the paddle to reinforce. The production process is highly productive, but the paddle is less powerful than the thermoformed one. Thermoforming paddles have a larger sweet spot thanks to the material used to reinforce the sides of the paddles, and the increased temperature and pressure also make the paddles stronger. The thermoforming process is complex, but greatly increases the strength of the entire paddle. Data shows that the strength index of the thermoforming paddles is three times more than cold pressed paddles, providing better athletic performance.

4.What is different between PP honeycomb core and aramid honeycomb core?

    PP honeycomb is a soft but strong polypropylene plastic material; but it is not resistant to temperature and will distort when it is over 70℃. It is good material for making paddles with great elasticity and lower cost. Aramid honeycomb, a lightweight and strong non-metallic material made from aramid paper impregnated with phenolic resin, is widely used in aerospace, sporting goods and other industries. Its production process is complex, so the cost is much higher than that of PP honeycomb. The difference between the two is that PP honeycomb has good elasticity but less strength, while aramid honeycomb is lightweight, strong but moderately elastic. In short, each has its own advantages.

5.How is the fiberglass surface of the paddle made?

   The surface of the paddle is made by laminating multiple layers of 0.35-0.4MM fiberglass plates. Fiberglass plate is to put the fiberglass cloth impregnated with epoxy resin, the content of resin is controlled between 30-40%, then piled up in multiple layers to the required thickness, and finally put into the hot press machine at 160℃ for curing and molding.

6.What is the production of the carbon fiber surface?

   The surface of the paddle is made by laminating multiple layers of 0.35-0.4MM carbon fiber plates. The process of carbon fiber plate is to put the carbon fiber cloth impregnated with epoxy resin, the content of resin is controlled between 30-40%, thus forming a unidirectional carbon fiber prepreg cloth. Finally, stack the carbon fiber cloth at 0 degree and 90 degree to the required thickness, and put it into the hot press machine at 160℃ for curing and molding, then come out to carbon fiber plate.

7.What is the production of grit/texture finish on carbon fiber surface?

   Currently the most popular, high-end paddles have a friction surface. According to the USAPA rules, the allowable limits for roughness shall be an average of no greater than 30 micrometers (µm) and an average of no greater than 40 micrometers with all readings to be taken in six different directions. Nowadays there are two different production process to create the friction surface by most of manufacturers, one is to spray the grit coating over the paddle surface. In this case, it probably cause uneven roughness, and the grit is easy to peel off along long-term usage. The other method is to add an extra layer of peel ply which is laid upon the outer surface of the composite during fabrication, this came out to textured finish on paddle face that are more durable and not easy to wear flat.

8.How to protect the cosmetics on the paddle face to more durable not easy to peel off when hitting the balls?

     Typically there are release agent residue on the raw paddle surface once finished, it is necessary to clean up the release agent residue with sanding tools before printing, and then sprayed with a chemical primer that can combine with the UV inks, and finally printing graphics. Each step is strictly controlled to prevent the inks on the paddle face peeling off easily along long-term usage.