https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK1_2Q7eV-sMerlin wrote:Hi Bob
To my knowledge Loomis has been bought by Shimano years ago and although I have never measured a NRX I would bet there is not a single slope in this rod.
Everything is possible like reuse of older mandrels, you are right in saying that sometomes tips have a "compound" mandrel, so that makes another extra slope possible, or even two. All those techniques are not knew, I would say that they have been in use for 15 years or something like that.
I can imagine that companies like Shimano are using design softwares, Hardy was producing antenna in the past and I remember seeing computerised rods. The problem is not the computing software, it is to define what you are looking for in terms of performance, and for me that always ends in actual testing. Computing also assumes that the mechanics of rod casting are understood, and I do not know of any published information on that, mine apart. For sure you can fine tune a ferruling system with suitable software for example, but is it really necessary given manufacturer's experience?
In 2006, whilst I was inquiring about rods, Shimano answered my letter to Loomis (then I understood they had bought Loomis), and just asked me if I was ready to give them my technical knowledge for free (all would become Shimano patents). You can guess my answer.
Calculating cane rods is easier since the material is "always" the same, especially if you start by a solid rod which you hollow with inspiration afterwards. I did that a few years ago and I have a spreadsheet for solid cane rods design. Such calculation gives you a straight "master" profile which you can fine tune afterwards. I have a synthetic rod version but it cannot handle multiple modulus and tapers, that would be too complicate.
Merlin
This is the video I was talking about for Gloomis. I am not a fan of Shimano as well, and by the looks of it the marketing BS has spread to Gloomis with their Asquith. Aparently the "Spiral X" process that has been used for years by others is now "exculsive and patented".
I guess they could vary the flag taper/wall thickness to get a compounded action?
The uses a hypothetical software could be used for optomizing dampening (what if Paul didn't have to do the last 3 HT8 prototypes and instead used software to test one) and maybe sensitivity for lure rods by measuring how well a rod transmitted vibration. And also optimizing the internal taper and layup for a specific action. I think some manufacturers have enough resources/budgets to epxeriment with other aspects like how the S curve at the end of the cast affects performance and other stuff I read on this forum that I don't really understand .
Actually I just found this from a quick google search: https://patents.google.com/patent/US6092324A/en
For the ferruling sofware you mention, how does that work? Are you just adjusting taper/wall thickness and the resulting stiffness for differing diameters?
What are you calculating for with the cane rod design? Action and stiffness? I would think with todays smart/generative design tools it would be possible to make a complete rod design software. The golf industry must already have something like it, as their design process and performance parameters seem much more scientific.