Customer focus

23/12/2024

Ugigrip-Vallgrip manufactures the insert for G-Tech’s walking pole tips

At the foot of the Vercors mountain range, G-Tech Guidetti designs and manufactures high-quality, innovative and sustainable outdoor products.

Specialising in poles (for hiking, Nordic walking and trail running), the G-Tech engineering team required a new insert for the tips of their poles.

Our fast and seamless collaboration, through just a few discussions with our engineering department, enabled us to propose the right solution — focusing on the client’s needs while providing tailored technical advice.

Interview with Maëlys Garcia

Development Engineer

How did Ugigrip-Vallgrip manage to address your product challenge?

We actually had two challenges. The first was relocation, as we wanted to work with a supplier based in France rather than in Asia.

The second concerned the durability of our component. We wanted it to be long-lasting while also reducing non-conformities.

Ugigrip-Vallgrip was therefore the selected supplier and successfully met our requirements.

What added value did Ugigrip-Vallgrip bring to your project?

Your knowledge of inserts, along with your expertise in tyres and grip, was a real added value. You were able to advise us on how the component functions, making it better suited to our needs, with subtle design features we would not have considered ourselves.

We carried out laboratory tests which showed that our new insert is more reliable and twice as high-performing (Rockwell hardness test (HR)).

How did you come to work with Ugigrip-Vallgrip?

It was through Olivier Reboulet from EVVO that we got in touch with Vallgrip. Having products made in France and designed for durability is exactly what we were looking for — the relationship did the rest.

Overall, working with Ugigrip-Vallgrip is, for us, a guarantee of quality and durability for our inserts.

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Customer focus

23/11/2022

Ugigrip-Vallgrip manufactures the ice grip for EVVO snowshoes: when R&D drives innovation

Born in the heart of the Pilat mountain range, just a few dozen kilometres from Ugigrip-Vallgrip, EVVO is a young, innovative brand created by Martin Plastiques Innovation (MPI).

MPI invented the EVVO Snowshoe, which is far more than a traditional snowshoe. It is a “Snowshoe”: a 100% technical innovation developed and manufactured in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, designed for walking, jumping and running on snow without constraint.

For grip on ice, it is fitted with Ugigrip-Vallgrip studs. This led to the development of the EVVO Snowshoe’s 100% rubber sole, inspired by the technologies used in MICHELIN winter and ice tyres, the renowned tyre manufacturer based in Auvergne.

Its unique geometric design and snow and ice grip provide excellent traction and exceptional durability.

Interview with Olivier Reboulet

Innovation Manager

How did Ugigrip-Vallgrip manage to address your product challenge?

We were looking for a specialist in ice grip (anti-slip studs) for our Snowshoe.

As our project prioritised French manufacturing, it was important for us to find local expertise and to achieve a solution that was both technically high-performing and competitively priced.

What can you tell us about the bespoke development?

The R&D teams at Ugigrip-Vallgrip provided invaluable support through their technical expertise and in-depth knowledge of aluminium and steel studs. We started from their existing product range and combined our respective technologies to adapt it to our specific requirements.

The synergy between our savoir-faire made it possible to create this fully bespoke and innovative product. Working in close proximity also facilitated discussions regarding both cost and performance.

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Customer focus

18/11/2022

David Leromain, Quality & R&D Manager at 1083, was looking for French manufacturing

1083 manufactures jeans less than 1,083 km from your home. That is the distance between Menton and Porspoder, the two furthest cities apart in mainland France. While a traditional pair of jeans travels an average of 65,000 km, 1083 has relocated every stage of production back to France, from garment assembly right through to the button.

Previously manufactured by stamping in companies across Europe, the jean button is now produced by Vallgrip, just a few kilometres from Romans-sur-Isère, thanks to cold heading technology.

Interview with David Leromain

Quality & R&D Manager

How did Ugigrip-Vallgrip manage to address your product challenge?

We were looking to manufacture metal buttons and rivets in France, as these components are no longer produced domestically, with the expertise having moved abroad.

The idea was to leverage cold heading technology based on a fairly open brief, without focusing too heavily on a specific shape or appearance.

What can you tell us about the bespoke development?

As fabrics do not necessarily have the same thickness, we wanted a universal button. We therefore worked on this assembly while taking various constraints into account, such as avoiding deformation of the part and preventing damage to the fabric.

In the end, aesthetics were important, but less so than manufacturing in France, which remains our true leitmotif.

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Customer focus

18/11/2022

Ugigrip-Vallgrip manufactures the studs for the Alpine Snow Bike

Eric Barone, Downhill Mountain Bike World Champion, wanted a 100% French-built bike to further develop his discipline.

To ride down a snow-covered slope at 100–120 km/h and be crowned World Champion in snow MTB, you need equipment that combines safety, performance and comfort. This technical challenge was successfully taken up by Eric Barone in collaboration with the engineering teams at Ugigrip-Vallgrip after more than two years of development.

The resulting product stands out as the ideal solution for hard-packed snow MTB competitions, thanks to a technology designed around Eric’s main constraint: fitting studs to an MTB tyre without piercing its structure. Ultimately, this innovative system makes it possible to achieve both grip and glide at the same time.

Interview with Eric Barone

Snow MTB World Champion

How did Ugigrip-Vallgrip manage to address your product challenge?

The solution is to screw the studs directly onto a tubeless tyre (without an inner tube).

One wheel can be prepared in just 15 minutes, compared with three hours for two wheels using traditional methods. It represents a genuine saving in time and greater independence, as users can stud their own tyres using the studding kit and a screwdriver.

What can you tell us about the bespoke development?

A full series of tests was carried out during the Covid period and at various competitions, confirming the product’s reliability.

This winter, three studding kits in different sizes are available for all upcoming French and international competitions.

A fitting tutorial is even available on the website of Snow Bike.