The good folks at Dynafit asked that we share something with you regarding their Radical binding. It seems like a small number of people are having troubles with the climbing bail/aid. We ski on the Radicals and haven't had any issues with them but apparently "hydrogen embrittlement" is at the root. Check out the official word from Jim Lamancusa (who was just in our neck-of-the-woods for the Coldsmoke Powder Fest a few weeks ago).
Dynafit has seen a recent increase in the number of Radical binding climbing aid breakages reported by our dealers and consumers. We take these reports very seriously and have looked into it extensively, both in Europe and in America.
The good news is the problem does not appear to be a serial or safety issue. At this point, the problem is being seen in a very limited number of cases (0.17% of all Radical bindings sold to date). It is not a safety concern when the climbing aid breaks. But, we regret every single case and are super sorry as we know how challenging it is to be in the backcountry with broken gear.
In researching the cause, we have determined a small number of the climbing aids are experiencing “hydrogen embrittlement” that causes the metal plate in the climbing aid apparatus to be weaker than designed. For you engineers out there, here is the definition of Hydrogen embrittlement: “the process by which various metals, most importantly high-strength steel, become brittle and fracture following exposure to hydrogen. Hydrogen embrittlement is often the result of unintentional introduction of hydrogen into susceptible metals during forming or finishing operations.” Hydrogen embrittlement cannot be completely excluded from the manufacturing process, but we have improved our production process to further reduce cases of this happening. This production change is in place for all future production.
Dynafit stands behind our products 100%, and we will work with our dealers to replace and repair all affected bindings at no charge to the dealer or consumer. If you have experienced this problem, please contact Dynafit customer service at 303-444-0446 or [email protected]. We will issue a return authorization to repair any broken climbing aids or send the necessary parts at no cost under warranty.
And rest assured, we will continue to monitor the issue very closely. We appreciate your attention to this matter. And as always, we appreciate your support.
Jim Lamancusa
Director of Sales/Marketing
Some samples of Dynafit bindings at Outdoor Retailer
