MEET ATLAS – THE NEXT GENERATION ONE-PIECE ALLOY BAT
Learn about the design process behind the Louisville Slugger Atlas Baseball Bat.
Re-imagined for explosive performance, the Atlas BBCOR Baseball Bat from Louisville Slugger offers an expanded sweet spot and decreased vibration, game-altering characteristics in a one-piece alloy bat. To create the final Atlas BBCOR Bat, Louisville Slugger engineers developed an innovative bat design process – optimization through digital simulation.
BASEBALL BAT OPTIMIZATION THROUGH DIGITAL SIMULATION
The barrel profile and wall thickness of the Atlas Evoke Alloy Barrel was driven by thousands of computer simulations modeled to mimic the BBCOR certification test. These simulations mirrored how different barrel profiles would perform in a true baseball environment, allowing engineers to test thousands of designs in a matter of weeks instead of years.
“We literally did thousands and thousands of design iterations using the computer to come up with the optimum performance profile for each bat length,” said Louisville Slugger Director of Engineering James Earley. “What this computer simulation did for us, is that it accurately mimics the BBCOR performance canon test.”
Through thousands of computer simulations, Louisville Slugger engineers can discover unexpected designs and reduce the bat design timeline. Engineers then build samples of the best designs for further real world testing.
“It takes a week or two to get new samples rather than a month or two,” Earley said. “It’s like the design process on steroids.”
“It’s an intersection of really advanced computer modeling along with traditional playtesting,” said Louisville Slugger Product Manager Joe Cmelik.
Through traditional play testing, the Louisville Slugger research and development team further refined the thousands of digital designs into the final Atlas barrel profile – the Evoke Alloy Barrel with a massive sweet spot and peak alloy performance.
“We were able to manipulate the wall profile so that every spot on the barrel has great performance,” Earley said.
The optimized wall thickness across the barrel ensures Atlas delivers elite performance and solid feel, no matter where players hit the ball.
THE RESULTS – EXPANDED SWEET SPOT AND PEAK PERFORMANCE
Thousands of computer simulations identified the highest performing wall thickness in each spot along the Evoke Alloy Barrel. To create this optimal wall thickness and expand the barrel’s sweet spot, the production process uses automated lathes that are programmed to machine the barrel from the inside, resulting in an ideal barrel profile.
The final iteration of the Evoke Alloy Barrel offers a balanced swing weight while packing an enormous punch, ensuring all types of players can be a threat at the plate.
VIBRATION DAMPENING
Unlike other one-piece alloy designs, the Atlas BBCOR Bat includes technology to mitigate vibration and prevent players from getting rung up on a mis-hit. Located between the top of the handle and the base of the Evoke Alloy Barrel, a honeycomb-shaped Tuned Mass Damper absorbs vibration on contact.
As vibrations pass from the barrel to the handle, the Tuned Mass Damper prevents them from reaching a player’s hands. With this innovation, players get an unbelievable feel with every swing – no matter where they make contact.
A SPD™-GEN2 End Cap is the finishing touch on the Atlas, designed to complement the Evoke Alloy Barrel for unmatched performance and feel. The premium LS PRO Comfort Grip™ offers a perfect mix of tack and cushion, ensuring all players can take advantage of the balanced yet potent swing weight.
