Authors:
Aiden Bradfield (Stellenbosch University, South Africa)
Natasha Sacks (Stellenbosch University, South Africa)
Abstract:
The study used aluminium-based additive manufacturing to apply design and optimisation principles to manufacture a golf putter head design which adheres to the international golfing regulations. A preliminary design was created in Autodesk Inventor 2025 using a blade-style putter. A conceptual model was developed, analysed and then subjected to topological optimisation to produce the final design to reduce the amount of material. The optimised design was compared against a commercially available putter in terms of performance, material use, and manufacturing efficiency. The optimised design reduced the overall weight from 137g to 121.2g thereby demonstrating the feasibility of integrating AM into the golfing industry. Four golfers were surveyed as part of a case study to explore the customisation possibilities of the optimised design. Each golfers physical attributes and personal preferences could be accommodated in the design while still remaining within the golfing regulations.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59499/EP256717613
