Rail Design for CNC Manufacturing
Surfboard rail design isn’t just important for rideability and performance. Designing your rails right in AkuShaper is much better for manufacturability and the quality of the final product. Getting good rails straight off the machine minimises the amount of time needed to hand-finish a board. This means consistent and repeatable shapes, even in the hands of ghost shapers, and avoids the extreme case of needing to ditch a blank.
A shaping machine will save you time because it cuts exactly what you ask it to cut.The better design/instructions you use, the better your process will be. Having rails come off the machine perfectly saves you time and reduces the unexpected variability that comes with needing to refine rails by hand.
THE GIST
The best performing surfboards have smooth continuous rails, free of bumps, wobbles, and sharp points. The objective with CNC manufacturing is to get these perfect rails straight off the machine to minimise the amount of hand-shaping needed.
Tip: Viewing your design in the Shaping Bay, looking tail to nose, is a common viewpoint to analyse any discrepancies in your rail line.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendation 1) Use as few slices as possible to keep transitions smooth from slice to slice. Add a new slice when you want the rail shape to change, for example a hard rail line near the fins.
Example of a hard edge transition
Recommendation 2) Keep slices similar to create a smooth flow throughout the rail line. Consistent rail lines are better for rideability and performance, and you can achieve them straight off the machine if you bake them into your design from the beginning.
Example of inconsistent slices
Recommendation 3) Use a minimal amount of points on the slices, with no acute angles. This gives flowing curves, and avoids bumps/low spots.
Example of too many control points
CONCLUSION
If you would like to further discuss these manufacturing techniques or chat about how to improve the quality of your surfboards designs and finished cuts, please get in touch with and AkuShaper expert via the link below:
