What is HEXO2?
Honeycomb only makes up one half of weight saving HEXO2’s formula. The key ingredient in HEXO2 is actually the pre-preg fibreglass laminates used in the construction. Pre-preg stands for pre impregregnated, which means that the resin which makes up the fibreglass matrix (the glue and filler between the fibres) is already applied to the fibres when it arrives at the factory. The Honeycomb element of HEXO2 is a cellulose structure almost like paper. HEXO2 honeycomb is extremely light and when glued is resistant to shear forces. Amplid uses cellulose honeycomb because it’s more absorbant of vibrations and lighter than the Almuninum alternative. Structurally celluloid Honeycomb is not as impact resistant as the wood it replaces so we use it in the nose and tail of our HEXO2 skis and boards to reduce swing weight and between the bindings of Amplid’s HEXO2 snowboards where it is not exposed to the direct impact forces of the rider’s weight, experience primarily under the bindings.
What are its benefits?
Because pre-preg laminates are impregnated with the epoxy and the hardening catalyst , if we kept it at room temperature the resin would cure (turn hard) so our pre-preg laminates are delivered in freezer trucks to the factory and stored at temperatures below -20 degrees C, because heat is an important component for the hardening reaction. So why go to all of this effort of transporting and storing pre-preg laminates when you can apply normal resin to the fibreglass by the less expensive method of wet lay-up with a worker and a spatula? Well the thing about resin (epoxy) is that it’s runny before it’s cured. The resin’s runniness is essential for creating good coverage of the fibreglass, but it also means that the resin will fill any holes when being applied, and that means honeycomb cells. Resin weighs considerably more than the woodcore itself so there’s little point in filling the honeycomb with excess resin. Pre-preg laminates have the perfect amount of resin for wetting the core and the fibreglass completely without leaving dry patches. Dry areas are prone to fracture and delamination so being too sparing when applying resin with a wet lay-up can cause more harm than good. Because pre-preg laminates have an exact amount of resin applied by machine there enough resin to glue the honeycomb to the fibreglass, but not enough to leak into the cells of the honeycomb.
Not only does the use of pre-pregs prevent the honeycomb cells from filling with resin, it assures that the perfect amount of resin is used to glue the ski/board together throughout . That means you can be sure that HEXO2 products are as light and as strong as they possibly can be.
And the drawbacks?
Well HEXO2 is expensive to produce, which is why this technology is saved for Amplid’s advanced skis and snowboards. For riders who demand the highest level of performance from their equipment, we believe this additional investment is worth it.
Which products feature HEXO2?
The UNW8 – Ultralight all-mountain weapon
The HiDef – Slopestyle and halfpipe podium seeker
The Morning Glory – Agile and flowing powder blaster
The Ego Trip – Lightweight, mid-wide, big mountain touring ski.
The Syntax – The Cartel Team’s contest park ski
