HPC Virtual Testing for Ski Boots

LISMEC is a global leader in the design and manufacture of injection moulds for the sports equipment industry, with particular expertise in ski boots. Located in Northern Italy’s Sports District—a region responsible for approximately 70% of global ski boot production—the company has pursued an ambitious strategy to strengthen its position as a leading supplier in the sector. In addition to providing physical moulds, LISMEC now offers a range of value-added services, including product design, prototyping, and performance evaluation through numerical simulations. These complementary services have become an important driver of the company’s revenue growth in recent years. However, the development and testing of new winter sports products still rely heavily on time-consuming and costly physical laboratory testing. Finite Element (FE) simulations have demonstrated significant potential to reduce the need for physical prototypes and tests, but LISMEC’s ability to fully exploit these methods has been constrained by limited computational resources. The simulations required involve complex geometries, highly non-linear material behaviour, and very large computational models, making High-Performance Computing (HPC) essential for achieving accurate results within practical timeframes.

Organisations involved: 

End-User: LISMEC

Technology expert: M3E 

Domain Expert: CMBM