Engineering the edge: How Dow and USA Luge push the limits of performance

When milliseconds separate champions from contenders, every detail matters.

Since 2007, Dow and USA Luge—one of Dow’s long-standing sports partnerships —have been transforming how the team’s sleds are designed, tested and raced. Our Materials Engineering Center (MEC) has leveraged state-of-the-art R&D tools like 3D printing, custom testing and pressure-mapping technology, alongside Dow’s deep expertise in mobility elements like Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH), to help USA Luge secure more than 100 World Cup and World Championship medals and achieve historic podium finishes. And not only has this collaboration resulted in success on the track, but it’s also strengthened Dow’s capabilities.

Within our MobilityScience™ sector, Dow works to optimize the ability of automotive components to withstand elements like thermal cycling and mechanical stress, all while aiming to reduce component weight. This is parallel to the challenges we seek to address when it comes to luge sleds. So, by collaborating in real time with USA Luge, we’ve been able to push the needle on top-tier athletic performance while bringing our learnings back to a design table based on a similar foundation, which has helped us further develop innovative mobility solutions like advanced acoustic-dampening materials for vehicles. The relationship between innovation in luge and innovation in automotive is symbiotic. What we learn in either space helps the other.

To shed some light on the science of sports and the innovation at the heart of luge, I sat down with USA Luge’s Jon Owen, USA Luge Technical Project Manager.

Dow’s materials have introduced a new level of precision to luge sled design and sports engineering. Understanding materials, their properties, and the execution they bring has optimized sled performance.

For example, with their knowledge of chemistry and advanced characterization testing, alongside their expertise in NVH, Dow helped us modify the kufens (the sled blades or runners or the part of the sled that touches the ice) to improve vibration dampening without adding weight, which is critical for maintaining speed and stability. Silicones in washers and bridges also improve dampening for better fit and performance. These innovations allow us to optimize load transfer and reduce micro-vibrations, resulting in sleds that deliver consistent handling and repeatability across runs.

We’ve also tapped into Dow’s additive manufacturing capabilities to create gummy and pod molds, and 3D printed parts that help us improve efficiency in component testing.

Luge has unique challenges in that we often compete in the extreme cold. Understanding how certain materials will perform under these conditions is not always well known, and that is where the analytical capability of Dow guides us to the correct material for the specific application.

Additionally, we are able to use the MEC lab to conduct real world testing that allows us to better understand how different materials will perform and work best for our athletes.

“Athlete comfort directly impacts control and consistency. Using pressure-mapping technology, we analyzed how athletes interact with the sled during runs. This data revealed pressure points and informed the design of customized padding for sled pods that replaced improvised padding like yoga mats.

When athletes feel physically secure and supported in the sled, they’re able to focus entirely on their technique and line. In short, it makes a world of difference.”

Dow is helping us create real-world and virtual test beds, simulating entire sleds and runs virtually to verify the physics behind our parts, their durability and life cycle. These test beds will help to reduce the time and cost associated with physical prototyping.

We are also expanding the use of Finite Element Analysis and going into some very interesting areas we can’t talk about that will reap benefits at the 2030 Games.