Design and development of a variable height, removable watersports pylon

ABSTRACT

It is the goal of the project to produce a watersports pylon that provides a greater variation in height than has been previously available on the market to meet the needs of both wakeboarders and water-skiers. The secondary goal is to provide a means of operation that does not require permanent fixing to a vessel's deck/structure. Based on thorough market research, there are options available for invasive pylons that require altering the deck/structure of the vessel, or temporary pylons that can be assembled but do not provide any variation in height. By utilising this gap in the market, it is the desire of the project to produce a product that builds on the existing strengths of similar products without their drawbacks, whilst still being a cost-effective solution. This project has focused on design of the pylon through all stages of the development process, from market research and product requirements based on customer needs, to design and product development. By developing and understanding the chosen designs using an analytical hierarchy process, the most appropriate option has been determined. The project then developed said design, initially understanding the loads and stresses acting up the pylon, as well as the material requirements. Using these calculations to generate a refined search via appropriate material selection software, the most appropriate material was identified. The design was then subject to critical structural analysis and optimisation, to ensure the product can be developed to meet the requirements established at the beginning of the project. It was hoped to test a prototype pylon, however the COVID restrictions prevented this. This paper details the processes of the project and the results produced, which was then critically reviewed to ensure that the pylon meets the initial aims set out at the start of the project. © 2021 The authors and IOS Press.