CRP USA Creates Lighter, More Durable Paralympic Racing Gloves for Improved Performance

CRP USA is a 3D printing service bureau located in Mooresville, North Carolina. It’s a suburb north of Charlotte which has earned the moniker “Race City USA” due to the many race shops located there, including some of the top names in NASCAR and IndyCar racing teams, as well as racing technology suppliers.

The company is one of those racing technology providers, but auto racing is not the only sport CRP is helping advance. CRP has partnered with eight-time Paralympics Gold Medalist Tatyana McFadden to create 3D printed wheelchair racing gloves using the selective laser sintering (SLS) process and its Windform XT 2.0 composite material.

The company specializes in 3D printing with the Windform family of high-performance materials, created in the late 1990s by CRP Technology. With its roots in Formula 1, CRP USA produces on-car, wind-tunnel, end-use components for racing teams as well as for automotive manufacturers and custom car creators. Windform materials have made it possible for powder bed fusion and SLS technology to create highly functional, beautifully finished parts with proven reliability and long lasting durability.

CRP USA has also used that material process expertise to produce functional parts for the aerospace, defense, industrial robotics and even the entertainment industries.

Now, CRP is working with the Paralympic medalist to create stronger, more durable racing gloves as she strives for gold at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, which run August 28-Sept. 8 in the ‘City of Light.’ The event showcases 22 sports, including both individual and team sports, in 23 disciplines (with para cycling including two disciplines – track and road) and a total of 549 events distributed across 269 sessions (morning, afternoon and evening).

When top-tier athletes like McFadden are competing, even the smallest detail might give them the edge to win. Wheelchair racing demands gloves that deliver exceptional performance due to the high friction from continuous hand-wheel contact. Traditional options often fell short for athletes. Before discovering CRP USA’s solution, McFadden used standard mold kits, but the quality was lacking. Traditional manufacturing methods couldn’t produce gloves that withstood the intense stress of wheelchair racing while providing the necessary precision and comfort.

“My first wheelchair racing gloves were called ‘harness gloves.’” McFadden says. “They were shaped like thumbs and made of heavy-duty fabric with rubber padding. Their softness made me feel the impact every time I hit the hand ring.”

By the 2008 Paralympic Games, McFadden and her team began making their own hard gloves. They would take plastic beads, melt them in a pot of boiling water and then mold the plastic to their hands. “This process took days to perfect. Sometimes we would have to start over and throw the whole plastic glove back in the water,” McFadden says. “Once perfected, I did not let the gloves out of my sight because they would melt if left in the car or in the heat for too long. Over time, the plastic would wear down, so we made the gloves thick, but they were heavy.”

Discovering 3D Printing

Even those ‘customized’ gloves could not meet the exacting standards needed for the highest sporting levels. A turning point came in 2015 when McFadden first experimented with 3D printed gloves. Then, in 2016, she connected with CRP USA to further develop these gloves, focusing on enhancing strength and durability.

“After a friend of mine told me about CRP USA, I reached out to them and shared my story,” McFadden says. “ I was so excited when I met everyone in person. They are an incredible partner and have really helped me so much. Not just in their innovation but the confidence they gave me since I do not have to worry about the performance of my racing gloves.”

McFadden says the CRP USA team helped make her vision for the gloves a reality. Strength and durability were certainly some of the more important characteristics that she needed to compete at her best, but they were not the only ones. Lightness, stiffness, resistance to wear and tear, and resistance to weather were other important features she wanted for the new gloves.

“When I met with the CRP USA team,” she specifies, “we also talked about heat, rubber, weather effects and straps for the gloves so they can stay in my hands better. When competing outside, we face various weather conditions, and I want to be ready for anything. My gloves have cracked in the past. My strokes produce a lot of force when I hit the hand ring, and my previous gloves lasted less than a year. I also wanted a better way to add rubber to the hand rings. The CRP USA team listened to my needs and managed to satisfy them in the best possible way.”

CRP USA utilized selective laser sintering and Windform XT 2.0 composite material in the manufacturing process. “Throughout her career, Tatyana found that the quality and detail of her gloves were just not up to the high standard she needed,” says Nathan “Nate” Baker, senior project coordinator at CRP USA. “That's when the Windform range of composites for 3D printing, created by our Italian partner CRP Technology, came into play. At CRP USA, we have tried several different Windform materials for her, with the gold standard becoming Windform XT 2.0.”

Windform XT 2.0

The Windform XT 2.0 carbon-filled composite material polyamide based is known for its superior mechanical properties. These properties ensure the gloves can withstand the constant, high-friction environment of wheelchair racing without deterioration. This durability significantly extends the life span of the gloves compared to traditional materials. Additionally, the flexibility and shock-absorbing properties of Windform XT 2.0 ensures maximum comfort, enabling McFadden to focus solely on her performance without discomfort or distraction.

By leveraging SLS and Windform XT 2.0, CRP USA was able to meet McFadden’s demands for lightness, stiffness, wear resistance and weather resilience. Detailed design improvements, such as hollowing out the gloves and adding internal structures, significantly reduced weight while maintaining strength and integrity. These enhancements boosted McFadden’s agility and speed, with the 3D printed gloves weighing approximately 100 grams — half the weight of traditional alternatives. CRP says rigorous tests confirmed their outstanding performance in terms of weight and durability.

McFadden was very satisfied with the outcome. “I remember using the gloves in Windform XT 2.0 for the very first time on the track and on the road,” she says. “I was so impressed by how light and durable they were. My hands felt so light, it felt like I wasn't holding onto anything. When I first put my hands into the glove, it was so smooth. They had also built in two holes where I could strap on the gloves to my hands instead of using additional clips.”

CRP USA says it is continuing to collaborate with McFadden to enhance the gloves, focusing on improving grip and comfort, especially when competing in the rain. This ongoing partnership means that McFadden can continue to have access to the latest advancements in additive manufacturing technology, enabling her to maintain her competitive edge. “CRP USA team keeps finding ways to make the gloves even better,” McFadden says. “Together, we continuously strive to improve my performance.”

Now. On to Paris.