METAL machinebouwers bv Creates Machines that Produce the Perfect Pitch

Artificial turf was once considered a dirty word in the world of football. The drawbacks of artificial surfaces were made clear during the first turf rollout by London’s Queens Park Rangers in 1981. Players complained of uneven footing and carpet burns, while fans felt their beloved sport was barely recognizable given the odd bounces caused by the fledgling surface. If unpredictable bounces didn’t spell immediate doom for its fate, the fact that this first-generation of artificial surfaces looked more like carpet than grass certainly made it clear that nothing was natural about this pitch. It’s safe to say that the first generation of artificial pitches fell far short of expectations and were quickly relegated out of the game. All of this has changed.

METAL machinebouwers Grass Assembly in SOLIDWORKS

Despite the obvious downsides of artificial turf, maintenance costs for natural grass pitches are exceedingly high – creating a real economic need for artificial surfaces. When there’s an economic need, technology will find a way. Thanks to technological advances, synthetic turf has found its way back into the game, and it’s not your grandfather’s unforgiving plastic pitch. In fact, the structural and aesthetic third-generation of hybrid turf systems is unrecognizable next to its predecessors. METAL machinebouwers bv is one company responsible for planting these new types of surfaces for clubs around the world. METAL has a 40-year legacy of designing machines to meet the needs of specialty markets. This includes employing stable of committed engineers who work on constructing unique machines to meet diverse customer needs. METAL specializes in creating machines that simply do not exist. In this case, the unique need was creating machines to produce synthetic turf used in third-generation and hybrid systems, such as those being used in Brazil this summer. It’s not like you can just start growing a hybrid pitch in your backyard.

Synthetic Grass Production Unit in SOLIDWORKS

By using SOLIDWORKS and partnering with reseller CAD2M, METAL is able to design the equipment used for the entire production process. SOLIDWORKS Simulation provides METAL with the ability to visualize production steps and test equipment before the machines are physically built. A faulty machine means lost production, which in the case of turf could spell trouble for our favorite clubs. Luckily, the power to virtually review and simulate how designs will react in the physical world eliminates design problems from arising. METAL is also able to share its designs with customers, so the two groups can work together to ensure projects are delivered as promised.

Synthetic Grass Production Unit in the Physical World

Now, whether it’s a national team or your local club, year-round footballers rely on synthetic and hybrid grass surfaces to practice, play, and stay sharp. Any professional will tell you, the only way to get to international play is through practice, practice, practice. Thanks to METAL, more and more players are staying active and taking their games to the next level. This is a direct result of innovations made to create a more durable, but forgiving artificial surface. After all, you simply cannot play without a proper pitch.

Learn more about how design and engineering has been changing football since 1863 on our website, where you can see SOLIDWORKS Simulation videos demonstrating the physics of football, as well as download our new infographic on the technology behind the world’s game.