This is how it’s done: motorcycle helmets

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This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets
Bilski

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets

16 pictures

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets
Bilski

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(8) The outer shells of the thermoplastic helmets are roughened by hand…

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets
Bilski

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(12) The inner parts of the helmets are also prepared parallel to the outer shell. Here, for example, foam pads of different thicknesses are glued to EPS (Styrofoam) cheek parts, depending on the helmet size.

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets
Bilski

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(5) The raw helmet shell is baked in just under 10 minutes using the hot pressing process. A robot then cuts out the field of vision and drills all the holes and recesses that are still required for processing.

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets
Bilski

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…then all safety and function stickers attached (16).

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets
Bilski

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(2) The cut-out mats are placed on a helmet shape by an employee and are shot at with fiberglass snippets fully automatically.

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets
Bilski

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…to make them more adhesive for the following fully automatic painting process (9).

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets
Bilski

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(7) With the cheaper thermoplastic helmets, the entire outer shell is created in a single work step. Injection molding machines liquefy the raw material (plastic granulate) and inject it into a highly polished mold. The outer shell is created at 300 degrees Celsius and a pressure of 8 tons.

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets
Bilski

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(1) The basic material for helmets is divided into two groups: thermoplastics and thermosets. In the manufacture of the helmets, however, they only differ in the manufacture of the outer shell. In the case of thermosets, a machine first cuts the required shapes out of multi-layer mats made of glass fiber, carbon fiber or aramid.

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets
Bilski

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(13) Then there is a fusion of the outer and inner shell. A hot glue heated to 180 degrees ensures the firm connection.

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets
Bilski

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(10) The finished painted shells are checked for irregularities by employees. Small mistakes can be polished out.

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets
Bilski

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(11) The decors, which consist of extremely thin plastic sheeting, are placed on the bowl with plenty of water and rubbed in the right places with small rubber scrapers. Then a layer of clear varnish provides the necessary protection for the decorations.

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets
Bilski

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(15) Finally, the visor (picture) and neck pad are attached…

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets
Bilski

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(6) All edges and unevenness of the raw shells are removed by hand.

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets
Bilski

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(3) The entire fiber mold is now placed upside down in the actual baking mold, where a certain amount of liquid resin and hardener mixture is added.

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets
Bilski

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(14) This is followed by small parts such as sealing lips, edge protection, aero spoilers, ventilation buttons, visor mechanics. And very important: the chin strap is riveted to the shell.

This is how it's done: motorcycle helmets
Bilski

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(17) After all parts have been checked for proper function in the final inspection, screw connections have been checked and the helmet has been degreased and cleaned with soft cloths, the helmet disappears in a protective cover and ends up in a cardboard box, ready for sale.

clothing

Helmets

This is how it’s done: motorcycle helmets

This is how it’s done: motorcycle helmets
Helmet manufacture

The individual work steps in the production of motorcycle helmets are almost identical in all companies around the world. MOTORRAD took a look around at Schuberth in Braunschweig.

Holger Hertneck

12/16/2003

The material used for the outer shell is decisive in the manufacture of motorcycle helmets. There are two groups: Thermoplastics and thermosets. While the outer shells of the inexpensive thermoplastic helmets (e.g. polycarbonate) are made from plastic granulate using an injection molding process, the production of high-quality thermoset shells requires a great deal of manual work. The further work steps after the production of the outer shells are identical.

The most important raw materials in the production of thermoset helmets are Mats made of glass fiber (GRP), carbon fiber (carbon) or aramid (Kevlar). A machine that looks like a giant plotter first cuts the required shapes out of the multi-layer mats (1). Depending on the helmet, different sizes of mats are used in different numbers, which an employee neatly places in their designated place on a helmet shape (2). In addition, this is automatically shot at with GRP snippets. The entire fiber composite is now placed upside down in the actual baking pan, where a certain amount of liquid resin and hardener mixture is added (3). At the pictured Hot pressing process A steel mold sinks into the die with the fiber mats and bakes the helmet shell in just under ten minutes at around 160 degrees Celsius. Instead of the steel mold, many manufacturers use a kind of balloon that presses the mats soaked with resin and hardener into the die.

The raw shells resulting from the thermoset production must be laboriously reworked for the further manufacturing process. First, a robot cuts out the field of vision and drills all the holes and recesses, for example for the visor mechanism and the ventilation devices (4). Afterwards, hard-working hands work on all edges and unevenness of the raw shell using grinding machines (5) – a dusty business.

With thermoplastic helmets, the entire outer shell is created in a single work step. Injection molding machines liquefy the raw material (Plastic granulate) and inject it into a highly polished casting mold. At a temperature of around 300 degrees Celsius and a pressure of 800 tons, a helmet shell is created every 90 seconds (6). Due to the extremely expensive machines, this production only pays off for very large quantities. It impresses with the absolute dimensional accuracy of the raw shells, which already have the visor cutout and all the necessary holes and do not have to be laboriously deburred, ground or otherwise reworked by hand for the further production process.

The manual roughening of the shell (7) serves to prepare the surface for subsequent fully automatic painting process (8th) to make more adhesive. The painting itself takes place under almost clinically sterile and absolutely dust-free conditions
the pods have been meticulously degreased. Employees check pre-painted shells for irregularities. Small mistakes can be polished out (9), Helmets with major defects are disposed of or sanded and repainted. It is very time-consuming Application of the decors, which consist of extremely thin plastic films. These are placed on the bowls with plenty of water (10) and rubbed in the designated places with small rubber scrapers. After drying, a layer of clear varnish provides the necessary protection for the delicate decoration.

The inner workings of the helmets are prepared parallel to the outer shell. For example, a Schuberth employee glues foam pads of different thicknesses to the EPS (Styrofoam) cheek parts, depending on the size of the helmet (11). In addition, all EPS parts are covered with a skin-friendly textile material. Am in picture (12) workplace to be seen, it almost comes to Fusion of outer and inner shell. A hot glue heated to around 180 degrees Celsius ensures the necessary connection between the two. Now all the small parts such as sealing lips, edge protection, aero spoilers, ventilation buttons, visor mechanics follow. And very important: The chin strap is riveted to the shell (13). Flip-up helmets are next given the foldable chin section and the associated locking mechanism. Last but not least, be visor (14) and neck pads are attached, then all safety and functional stickers are attached (15). Before the finished motorcycle helmet disappears in a helmet sack and ends up in a box (16), check the final check Once again, all parts such as the visor mechanism are working properly, checking screw connections and degreasing and cleaning the helmet with soft cloths and using compressed air to blow small lint out of the inside of the helmet.

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