At Team Wendy, our research is rooted in two things: the head and how various types of impacts affect it. Some of our research – blast forces, rotational head acceleration – is above and beyond the norm and not yet incorporated into longstanding performance standards. Others, like linear blunt impact, are. The latter is a type of physical trauma brought on by an object directly striking the head. Think of tripping and hitting your head on the ground or being knocked against a wall after a blast. The severity is based on the acceleration of the head when it hits the surface.
 
The second is crown-force transmission, commonly exhibited when a falling object hits someone on the head and exerts force onto the neck and spinal cord. It typically occurs in industrial or mountaineering settings.
 
The final area of study is ballistic impact, in which small-mass objects – firearm bullets, shrapnel or other projectiles – travel at an extremely high velocity before ultimately striking the head.
 
 
Traditionally, we implement a constrained, uniaxial force to measure blunt impact (see Drop Test above). This adheres to tried-and-true performance standards. The helmet is loaded onto a headform and dropped onto an anvil to replicate an impact consistent with falling. Combat helmets, in particular, require rigorous testing. Drops are repeated across seven different locations on the helmet. Depending on the specified performance standard, drops may be conducted at different velocities. Varying headforms, anvils or impact locations may be utilized, along with a variety of environmental conditions.
 
 
Rotational impact requires a triaxial test that combines free-fall aspects (see Free-Fall Drop Test above). Testers can attach a surrogate neck to achieve realistic impact kinematics and also assess spinal cord injury risk. The principal objective is to measure angular velocity and acceleration caused by impact. Team Wendy continues to innovate by sharing our results with the Office of Naval Research (as members of the ongoing PANTHER Project) and ASTM International.

Testing crown-force transmission involves mounting a surrogate head to a rigid base and dropping weight on top of the head (crown). The freefalling object jams the proverbial neck and spine. Results are particularly relevant for helmets worn in factories where heavy tools or pieces of equipment might fall. It also applies to the search and rescue community, who routinely work amid falling rocks or debris.

Two important performance standards have our attention when it comes to protecting against projectiles, but both of them start with ensuring said projectile won’t penetrate a helmet’s shell. First is back face deformation, where a helmet is mounted on a clay headform and fired upon with small caliber ammunition. Testers measure the indentation left by the bullet’s impact. There’s a specific amount of indentation that’s permitted before a helmet fails.
 
The second standard measures the helmet’s performance against fragments from explosions or detonations on the battlefield. This is measured in regard to V50, meaning the velocity at which 50 percent of the shots penetrate the helmet and 50 percent are stopped. Keep in mind the specific size and velocity of a projectile can vary greatly depending on the type, size and distance from the blast. The greater the V50 value, the greater the protection.

Team Wendy manufactures open-cell polyurethane foams designed specifically for impact mitigation and energy absorption. Custom-formulated by our engineers and chemists, materials are developed with a varying amount of stiffness and density and viscoelastic properties. Zorbium^® is our proprietary polyurethane impact and comfort foam. It is used in the standard issue U.S. Army and Marine Corps 7-Pad System and the Storelli ExoShield Head Guard, which scored the No. 1 rating in soccer from the Virginia Tech helmet lab.

In addition to our patented foam technologies, we have explored the capabilities of molded geometric structures to mitigate impact forces and manage acceleration by bending and buckling under compression – effectively acting like the crumple zone in a vehicle. This patented approach allows the impact response to be fine-tuned through both material selection and geometry, providing unique stress-strain responses not achievable with traditional structure foams.
 
In 2019 we installed a Carbon 3D printer equipped with DLS (Digital Light Synthesis™) technology. In the past, 3D parts were printed in a single direction – a layer-by-layer approach. The new printer produces consistent and predictable mechanical properties, creating parts that are as solid as injection-molded parts.
 
Additionally, under the PANTHER program, we are collaborating with others to use a technique called topology optimization to further refine these designs to be made with the latest in additive manufacturing.

Patented in 2012, the Team Wendy CAM FIT™ Retention System revolutionized security and comfort with its unique headband system. We noticed other retention systems created hot spots by transferring weight to an operator’s chin or other awkward spots. We wanted to make sure operators in the field could focus on their mission and not be distracted by their helmets. By implementing a Boa^® Fit System, which was traditionally used for footwear and ski wear, we stabilized the weight of the helmet and distributed an even amount of pressure around the head. It simulates the feel of an adjustable baseball cap. The combination of our straps and chin cup provides a close, comfortable fit to the wearer’s face while the asymmetric design keeps its buckle tucked smoothly along the jaw line. To ensure the CAM FIT™ has the most secure fit, we incorporated Cam Lock sliders for one-handed adjustment. In 2019 the CAM FIT™ was awarded first place in the Marine Corps Systems Command’s PM ICE Helmet Retention Competition.

Through an industry partnership with Wilcox^®, Team Wendy is proud to offer the gold standard in mounting solution technology by featuring a Wilcox^® shroud on every Team Wendy tactical helmet.