3D Printing for Helmets?

3D Printing, or Additive Manufacturing (AM) as it is called in the industry, has been making headlines as an end-all manufacturing method across many types of products and industries.  Additive manufacturing has found a niche in product development prototypes.  However, some industries have begun to produce parts for long term use in medical and aerospace applications.  Additionally, food, cars, even firearms have been produced with this revolutionary method of material manipulation.  So is it just a matter of time before all manufacturing processes are obsolete, including those used to produce Team Wendy helmets and protective liners?  Maybe, but probably not.
 

What is Additive Manufacturing

The most basic definition is, any process that synthesizes a part by means of addition, rather that subtraction, or cutting.  Current processes/technologies include:

• Extrusion: 3D printing or Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) – extrudes molten thermoplastic filament and lays a thin bead of material side by side, one layer at a time
• Light Polymerized: Stereolithography (SLA), Digital Light Processing (DLP) - uses an ultraviolet laser or high intensity light image to cure a liquid resin, typically building on a plate one layer at a time
• Powder Bed: Select Laser Sintering (SLS), Direct Laser Metal Sintering (DMLS) – uses a high intensity laser to melt and bond powdered thermoplastics or metals together

 

Advantages and Why AM is so Popular

AM is most often used in place of Machining (or subtractive manufacturing) and Injection Molding. Machining is best for small to medium volume of parts, where very high tolerances are necessary. Injection Molding is best for medium to high volume parts, where medium-high tolerances are necessary.  AM currently fits in at the very small volume/low to medium tolerances void that the other two methods leave open.  It is best for small volumes due to the relatively high costs of part production. 
 
Within AM many materials are available, from existing engineering thermoplastics like polycarbonate and nylon to aerospace metals like titanium and nickel super alloys. The lack of tooling involved makes the process perfect for making unique or one-off designs become a reality.  Additionally, because almost all AM processes build layer by layer, features like internal cavities can be realized that would otherwise be impossible (with injection molding), or extremely difficult (machining).
 

Drawbacks

AM is still a technology that is in its infancy.  That means that we are likely just scratching the surface to the potential capabilities.  But it also means that the machines necessary are very expensive and evolving very rapidly; equipment purchased today may be obsolete in a few years.  The materials used can sometimes be exactly what are used in existing manufacturing methods which should yield parts with comparable strengths. However, in the FDM process for example, the layers do not bond to each other as well as if the part was a solid version of the same material. Additionally, some AM processes use proprietary materials, so if the material properties for a part design require something different, it can rule out an entire process.
 

So when do I get my Team Wendy 3D Printed Helmet?

Not today. Currently, 0% of the components we sell utilize this technology.  However, almost all of the products we sell started as a 3D printed prototype. In recent years, the amount of prototypes that have been utilized to fully realize a product before production has grown significantly.  
 
One of the first prints we had made was actually for the ESAPI training plate design to verify the fit into various plate carriers and to inspect the curved surfaces for errors. For the EXFIL® Carbon and LTP, models of the shells were printed for fit testing as well as to get the look just right.  The prototype EXFIL® Ballistic that debuted at SHOT Show 2014 was an SLA shell, which had been painted and edge banded with actual production methods.  The shell offered no ballistic or blunt impact protection, but it allowed operators and law enforcement officers to try it on and provide feedback, greatly increasing the confidence of a design before pulling the trigger on tooling that costs tens of thousands of dollars.



Another benefit that can be realized is small scale fixturing and production aides.  We have utilized 3D printed parts for various part placement applications where the placement tolerances are not exacting.  When building helmets, complex surfaces are always a factor.  Machining parts with complex surfaces that cover a fairly large area can be expensive, and in these cases, 3D printing (FDM specifically) can be much more economical.


 

Future Potential

The potential for this technology as it relates to helmets is very large.  Imagine if you could have your head scanned, and receive a helmet days later that was fitted exactly to your head – comfortable, low profile, and as light as possible.  While currently only a dream, advancements in AM technology could make this a reality sooner than we think.