Engineering students at UPEI worked with Newfoundland and Labrador's Magine Snowboards to help develop a method to attach plastic sidewalls to the snowboard core—sidewalls are glued along the side of the snowboard core to keep water out of the board and help protect its wooden core.

A team of five UPEI engineering students came up with multiple concepts. One concept was chosen based on an in-depth comparison of the alternatives and the examination of the specific needs of the client. This design was further refined following extensive analysis of each of the components.

Some challenges the team faced included the variable sizes of Magine's manufactured snowboards and the varying curve of the cores. However, the student team was able to test various methods, components, and materials to provide an innovative solution to those challenges. The final proposed design was drawn in a CAD program and a package was developed to guide construction of a prototype. Materials were bought from local hardware stores, and a prototype was constructed in the lab facilities in Dalton Hall.

The finished prototype was tested and, once it was determined that the device satisfied the needs of the client, it was sent to Magine Snowboards to be incorporated into the current snowboard assembly process.

• Meet Emma MacKay, a UPEI engineering student who worked on the project