Hi Everyone! Thanks for visiting my ePortfolio. My name is Liza Brooks, I am 25 years old and a EngD student at DCMT Cranfield University. DCMT is the military campus in Shrivenham but I myself am not in the armed forces. I am in the Department of Engineering Systems and Management which has recently been formed as a merger of other departments at Shrivenham. My research areas are Vehicle Dynamics, Composite Materials, Vibration and Simulation. I have a B.Eng HONS in mechanical engineering with management from RMCS Cranfield University.

My Research

Thesis Title: Advanced Snowboard Design

The UK snowboard industry is dominated by expensive marketing and advertising campaigns to sell products. True Snowboards founded in 2006, in conjunction with this research program, had a marketing budget of approximately £0. Using engineering excellence, rider sponsorship and E-commerce could such a small company complete in the UK domestic market?

Project Aims and Objectives

To define the fundamental aspects of snowboard behaviour with the objectives of applying the knowledge to improving their design. This will also include the management of the product into production.

With the ultimate aim, from a competitive point of view, being able to get at least one British rider to win a medal at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver Canada, on a True Snowboard.

From a more commercial aspect, to be able to provide the individual with the perfect snowboard. Taking into account not only their individual rider geometry but also what ride characteristics they would like from the snowboard when it is in use.

Looking at the individual objectives for the project:

• To quantify the influence of snowboard geometry on its turning characteristics.
• To investigate the stiffnesses of a snowboard both experimentally and by finite element analysis and attempt to relate these to rider assessment.
• To effectively instrument a snowboard using Compact Rio and use it to collect data on snowboard ride characteristics.
• To apply the knowledge gained to the design and manufacture of snowboards.
• To gain an understanding of the extreme sports market and which marketing and advertising tools are most effective to maximise sales revenue.

My Supervisor
Dr David Purdy
d.j.purdy@cranfield.ac.uk
DESM
DCMT Cranfield University.

Contact me liza@truesnowboards.com