As much as guitarists love their instruments, fans are often scrambling to collect shattered guitar pieces at concerts because a musician smashed their guitar in the moment of a song. In an attempt to save the numerous guitars out there, Henrik Loikkanen, machining process developer at Sandvik Coromant, has created an “unbreakable, all-metal guitar,” according to New Atlas.
The company is requesting that Swede Yngwie Malmsteen test out the guitar and try to destroy it.
“We had to design a guitar that is unsmashable in all the different ways you can smash a guitar,” says Loikkanen. “The engineering challenge was that critical joint between the neck and the body that usually cracks on a guitar.”
The neck and fingerboard have been designed with stainless steel with an Isotropic Lightweight Structure made from hyper-duplex steel. The neck and fretboard extend into a rectangular “hub” that reaches deep into the guitar’s body. For even more support and sturdiness, the body is made from titanium.
The body was created using 3D-printing technology, where lasers traced a design in beds of fine titanium powder, which fused layers of material on top of one another.
“Additive manufacturing lets us create lighter, stronger and more flexible components with internal structures that would be impossible to mill traditionally,” explains Sandvik’s Amelie Norrby. “And it’s more sustainable because you only use the material you need for the component, minimizing waste.”
The company believes this guitar poses potential for the future of how products are designed and created in the future.
“Collaborating like this is a key for the future,” says Tomas Forsman, research and development specialist at Sandvik. “Our customers’ challenges continue to grow more and more complex. We need to bring our expertise to work hand-in-hand with our partners and customers, and keep inventing new ways of meeting those challenges.”
Once the guitar was completed, they shipped it off to Malmsteen who practiced with the beast before a gig. Once live and on stage, Malmsteen proceeded to pound the guitar on the floor and on various equipment, yet the guitar still survived.
“This guitar is a beast,” said Malmsteen after admitting defeat. “Sandvik is obviously on top of their game. They put the work in, they do their hours. I can relate to that. The result is amazing. I gave everything I had, but it was impossible to smash.”
Filed Under: Product design