Multi-Material Golf Club Head with Tungsten Weight Ports
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current golf club head manufacturing techniques fail to optimally adjust the center of gravity (CG) and moment of inertia (MOI) for achieving desired golf ball trajectory and spin rates, limiting performance.
Innovation Solution
The use of multiple materials, such as steel-based, titanium-based, and tungsten-based materials, in combination with advanced manufacturing processes like investment casting and CNC machining, to create a golf club head with strategically positioned mass portions that optimize CG and MOI, and the incorporation of a filler material within the interior cavity to enhance structural support and vibration damping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple materials are used to manufacture golf club heads, then the center of gravity and moment of inertia can be optimized for desired trajectory and spin rate, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The golf club head is divided into multiple material regions, with each region made from a different material (e.g., titanium-based material for the body, steel-based material for the face, tungsten-based material for weight ports). This segmentation allows independent optimization of each region's properties to achieve the desired center of gravity position and moment of inertia while maintaining manufacturability through specialized processes for each material type.
Solution Approach 2:
The golf club head employs composite construction by combining multiple materials with different densities and mechanical properties. The titanium-based body provides lightweight structure, the steel-based face provides durability and ball contact properties, and tungsten-based weight ports provide dense mass for CG control. This composite approach enables precise control of center of gravity and moment of inertia that would be impossible with a single material.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple materials are used to manufacture golf club heads, then the moment of inertia can be optimized for desired trajectory and spin rate, but the manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is segmented into specialized steps for each material type. The titanium-based body is formed through investment casting, the steel-based face is separately manufactured and then bonded, and tungsten-based weight ports are inserted into dedicated cavities. This segmentation of the manufacturing process allows each material to be processed using its optimal fabrication method, achieving precise moment of inertia control while managing overall manufacturing complexity through modular assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
Weight ports are pre-formed with tungsten-based material before final assembly, and the face portion is pre-manufactured with precise thickness variations. These preliminary actions allow the moment of inertia to be optimized in advance during the design and prototyping phase, enabling precise control of this critical parameter before final assembly of the multi-material club head.
3Strength
If filler material is incorporated within the interior cavity, then structural support and vibration damping are enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The interior cavity is selectively filled with filler material in specific regions rather than uniformly throughout. The filler material is placed in areas where structural support is most needed, such as behind the face portion or in regions experiencing high stress during impact. This localized application provides targeted structural reinforcement and vibration damping while minimizing the overall complexity of the cavity structure and maintaining weight optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head may include a body portion including a first material and having a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion, a front portion having a face portion. The golf club head may also include a third mass portion including a second material and coupled to the body portion, and a plurality of mass portions coupled to the third mass portion. The density of the second material is greater than a density of the first material. The interior cavity may include an elastic polymer material. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.