ASTM Standard addresses baseball stiffness and elasticity.
Press Release Summary:
Measuring stiffness and elasticity of baseballs and softballs relative to cylindrical collisions, ASTM F2845 closely simulates deformation rate and magnitude of play conditions. Dynamic stiffness is a measure of ball's hardness, which helps determine distance impacted ball will travel, while cylindrical coefficient of restitution, or bounciness, measures rebound of ball following impact with bat. Primary users of standard will be test labs that certify balls and bats for regulating associations.
Original Press Release:
Baseball Stiffness and Elasticity Is Subject of New ASTM Sports Equipment Standard
W. CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., -Committee F08 on Sports Equipment and Facilities has developed a new ASTM International standard that measures the stiffness and elasticity of baseballs and softballs relative to cylindrical collisions. The new standard, ASTM F2845, Test Method for Measuring the Dynamic Stiffness (DS) and Cylindrical Coefficient of Restitution (CCOR) of Baseballs and Softballs, is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee F08.26 on Baseball and Softball Equipment.
Dynamic stiffness is a measure of a ball's hardness. Hardness helps determine the distance an impacted ball travels - the harder the ball, the livelier it is and the farther it flies. The cylindrical coefficient of restitution, or bounciness, measures the rebound of the ball following its impact with a bat or another cylindrical object. Bouncier balls tend to be more elastic, which means that when a ball is deformed by a collision, it will reform and rebound, returning the kinetic energy of the impact into motion in the opposite direction.
According to Lloyd Smith, Ph.D., associate professor, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, the motivation behind the new standard is to simulate the deformation rate and magnitude of play conditions more closely than the current test methods. "Prior to ASTM F2845, ball stiffness was measured using a quasi-static method. The current tests work reasonably well, but the large difference in strain rate between the test and play conditions sometimes caused discrepancies," says Smith.
ASTM F2845 also provides a more accurate measure of a ball's coefficient of restitution. The increased accuracy and closeness to play conditions of the measurements can be attributed to improving on the current test methods by impacting a ball with a cylindrical surface, rather than a flat plate, and from an increased test speed that is more representative of play conditions.
The primary users of this standard will be test labs that certify balls and bats for regulating associations.
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ASTM Committee F08 Next Meeting: Nov. 17-19, November Committee Week, San Antonio, Texas
Technical Contact: Lloyd V. Smith, Ph.D., Washington State University, Pullman, Wash., Phone: 509-335-3221; lvsmith@wsu.edu
ASTM Staff Contact: Christine Basile, Phone: 610-832-9728; cbasile@astm.org
ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler, Phone: 610-832-9603; bschindl@astm.org
