I'm looking for a new racquet after years of not needing to upgrade & realise that there's a lot more racquet models currently - almost overwhelmingly so. However the racquets that I like are not in production anymore. This makes me think about racquet production, specifically the moulds. I'm not an engineer so in my limited knowledge for each new model, a manufacturer (say Yonex) would do R&D (3D models, prototypes, etc) then somehow make the mould. What's interesting here is the shaft & grip are not always custom-made for the racquet model as there are generic shafts & grips; they can be produced by other manufacturers (I think Toray makes racquet shafts). I also remember reading in this forum that grips tend to be manufactured local to the racquet's market so an SP model would have grip made in asia, US in the States, etc. From memory, painting's also done similarly (racquets are distributed unpainted first) which would explain why - for example - an AS model would have better paintwork than SP. Of course not all manufacturers do this, nor all models are produced like this. That brings me to my main question about the molds. What happens to them after the racquet's discontinued? Are they destroyed or stored in some sort of mold museum? Most importantly (to me) - does Yonex have the ability to create the discontinued racquets? I know that some models are rejuvenated ie. Cab20, Ti10 & AT700. In most cases members here would say every iteration feels different (making some models like 1st gen Ti10 legendary). I'm hoping there's someone in this forum that's more knowledgable & willing to share with us mere mortals
Idk what would happen to those mold as Yonex themself would be the one who know as its obvious its their decision. But, in logical aspec. Mould or any thing that being used for many times never mean to last for eternity. Its age coz of time, even iron surrender to corrosion. Then usage, mould would lose some of its shape after some use & need to calibrate regularly. So eventually when the mould are out of shape but then decided to change model, it end up in storage. Sometimes its sold to others for recycle, keep in the corner & forgoten, or if possible to customize the mould to fit the new model, it will be reused again. See cars model for every generation, their model is different but never in an extreme way. They just customize their old mould to minimize their cost. And for why they dont resell old model, it just marketing strategy. 1. You keep seeling old one, you will sell less new one. 2. Keep selling old one & eventually we will get bored & ask new thing. 3. You sell old one they might be sitting & never get in player hand as player will be interest in new model, new tech, new paint even if it just gimmic marketing stuff. 4. Resurrect old model with the cost of the mould & calibrate it, how much they will sell? Maybe some but never that many. 5. Or many marketing reason which in the end the profit they might get is not to interesting for them.
