R&D – Factory visit to meet the future Dainese Airbag … –

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Factory visit to meet the future Dainese Airbag…

R & amp; D - Factory visit to meet the future Dainese Airbag ... -

Invited to discover the 2010 Dainese collection, Site took the opportunity to visit the premises of the Italian manufacturer and measure the brand’s involvement in competition and safety, but also to find out more about the D-Air airbag….

37 years of experience

  • 1972: creation of Dainese in Molvena (Vicenza)

  • 1974: German Dieter Braun is the first official Dainese rider in the world championship

  • 1976: Giacomo Agostini races in the colors of Dainese and contributes to the advancement of the ergonomics of wetsuits

  • 1978: collaboration with Barry Sheene which results in the improvement of the first backbone

  • 1980: Dainese unveils the first sliders. At the time, they were called "hedgehogs" because they featured a series of flexible cylinders that come out of a support when the knee is bent! The same year, launch of the production of motorcycle gloves

  • 1983: Dainese distributes the first version of its back protector used in racing

  • 1985: Dainese introduces elastic inserts on wetsuits and begins its collaboration with the MotoGP mobile clinic

  • 1988: Dainese launches the aerodynamic hump

  • 1993: birth of the Dainese Technology Center (D-Tec), a technical research and development center for the study of protection technology and product development

  • 1994: realization of Ergon, the brand’s first helmet. At the same time, Dainese created the "No Impact" division to transfer its know-how to mountain biking, snowboarding and alpine skiing.

  • 1995: Max Biaggi tests the first models of gloves with carbon fibers and kevlar

  • 1998: launch of Procom (a combination equipped with different heat and humidity sensors) and D-air (an airbag integrated into the suit)

  • 2000: presentation of the D-air prototype developed with an Israeli company

  • 2001: creation of D-Mobile, a mobile research structure present on the circuits

  • 2002: followed since his debut by Dainese, Valentino Rossi wins the MotoGP title (contested with 990 cc 4-stroke) after conquering the 125, 250 and 500 cc titles !

  • 2003: with Rossi, Pedrosa and Poggiali, Dainese is present in the main world speed championships (125, 250 and MotoGP)

  • 2006: success of D-air racing in real conditions. The following year, Simone Grotzky started it for the first time in GP during the Valencia tests

  • 2007: for the 35 years of Dainese, more than 1300 enthusiasts visit the head office in Italy

    • Once upon a time, in 1971, a two-wheeler enthusiast who had fun scribbling the first sketches of a logo intended to represent a collection of motorcycle clothing that he was about to launch….

    Wishing to find an original symbol combining both dynamism, innovation and a touch of humor, Lino Dainese chooses a stylized demon head, which has today become the trademark of Dainese, an equipment manufacturer. Italian among the most famous in the world.

    Starting his activity with two motocross pants, Dainese quickly gained strength through a very strong involvement in the field of competition (see box opposite).

    Now firmly established in the equipment segment, the Italian brand has never renounced its attachment to competition: taking care of its pilots (Agostini, Barry Sheene, Kenny Roberts, Kevin Schwantz, Max Biaggi, Olivier Jacque, Carl Fogarty, Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo), the equipment manufacturer tests and develops the technologies and materials of tomorrow through the most contested world championships.

    However, if the direct impact of competition on the development of road equipment sometimes seems overdone or highlighted for marketing purposes alone, the impressive number of Dainese products designed by and for racing and available in stores a few seasons over. late tends on the contrary to show the full extent of the contribution of high level pilots.

    From the first elastic inserts introduced on the wetsuits of Dieter Braun (1974) to the appearance of sliders (1980), passing through the aerodynamic hump, the back protector and the use of composite materials to reinforce the protection, almost all the related progress to the comfort, ergonomics, safety and quality of Dainese products are the fruits of collaboration with the speed elite !

    With 35% of its turnover in Italy, the transalpine manufacturer now relies on a large distribution network reinforced by the appearance of D-Store and D-Garage – Dainese specialist stores – in major cities. European.

    This presence allows the Italian firm to post a penetration rate and increasing sales, despite a timid commercial start this year, explained according to the Italians by the inevitable global economic crisis..

    By discovering the new 2010 collection at Dainese’s head office in Vincenza (Italy), Site was able to take the opportunity to sneak into the clothing and research workshops in order to understand "live" the methods and projects of the mark to the demon…

    Welcome to Rossi’s tailor !

    From the start of the visit, the visitor’s attention is inevitably captured by the omnipresence of photographs of the current brand ambassador: the eight-time world champion, Valentino Rossi !

    Even if an entire wall is dedicated to all the pilots who have worn the colors of Lino Dainese, wherever you look, the eternal teenage smile of the Italian prodigy is spread over multiple spaces and we even find that and there suits, gloves and boots worn by n ° 46 himself !

    Taking advantage of the Doctor’s brand image and fame, Dainese relies heavily on its partnership with the Italian to communicate: if the new Dainese 2010 collection presents product renewals and novelties – such as the interesting combination to Double zip Red Line, the new Full Metal Pro gloves or the vintage DA 540 helmet -, the manufacturer unveils a line of clothing addressing the signature of the Yamaha rider simply called … "Valentino Signature" !

    Not the last to go all out, the designers of Dainese products even unveil the "Freddie", a magnificent vintage leather and split leather jacket intended to embody "the reinterpretation of the historic Freddie Spencer’s suit", explain the Italians !

    Thus, from the young "Rossimanic" tarmo to nostalgic for the heyday of the Continental Circus, Dainese is casting a wide net by relying on both its historical heritage and the notoriety of its icons of the day. This commercial policy allows Dainese to broaden its field of action – especially in the booming urban segment – without "selling off" the quality reputation of its products..

    "Dainese enjoys an excellent reputation around the world and our sports products still constitute the bulk of our sales. For example, there is no question of damaging our "Premium" image by launching low-cost products, with the sole aim of recovering market share.", affirms Fabio Muner, European sales manager.

    D-Air airbag: a production model for 2011 !

    In order to better understand the constant concern for quality and safety that distinguish its products, the manufacturer invites us to discover its clothing and research workshops: nearly fifty employees work on the Molvena site, including 15 in the research and development section..

    Like many OEMs, the production of most Dainese products is outsourced abroad (especially in Eastern Europe), but the creation of new models, tests, research and compliance checks are carried out in Vincenza … just like the development of the equipment of the official pilots of the brand !

    Thus, at random in an aisle, we can observe a seamstress assembling piece by piece the combination of Rossi, Biaggi, Simoncelli or Lorenzo! Extremely organized and studious, the place exudes a passion for racing, as illustrated by the many autographs of pilots from yesterday and today hanging everywhere, and especially the incredible museum of the brand where all the combinations are stored. worn by its pilots since 1974 (600 models listed!).

    A little further on, the research laboratory is carrying out final tests on the new Dainese chest protector: noting the insufficient protection of this exposed region, the brand has developed its first chest plate intended for trackers as well as ordinary bikers..

    Reducing the compression exerted on the thorax by 43% during a side crash test between a Renault Laguna and a Piaggio MP3, this protection made of polypropylene, aluminum and nylon is available in male and female versions.

    Full of tools for measuring and testing the solidity, impermeability or resistance of the brand’s products, the laboratory adjoins a space entirely devoted to D-Air, the famous wireless airbag integrated in a suit (read and).

    Before arriving at the model that Jorge Lorenzo wears in MotoGP ("Valentino wears it a few times in practice and helps us in the development of D-Air, but he does not wear it in races because he is superstitious and very attached to his habits.", explains Alessandro Belluti, the engineer in charge of the project!), Dainese went through all kinds of prototypes … The first, a kind of sausage that was theoretically able to come out of a helmet, dates back to 1995 !

    Wishing absolutely to develop a light, autonomous and integrated model in the suit, Dainese has gradually surrounded itself with qualified partners to carry out this ambitious project, the development cost of which would exceed one million euros….

    Thanks to the help of Professor Cossalter, president of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Padua, of the German company 2D (specializing in the collection and elaboration of data and in elaboration software) and Even from the Fiat security center, Dainese has managed to master the problems of speed of reaction and trigger threshold. Because if an impact is easy to record, in the case of a slip there are no significant deceleration values, which complicates the development of software capable of rapidly detecting the fall of the pilot. !

    Now placed inside the suits, the D-Air is "practically to the point"according to its designers: thanks to the presence of three accelerometers, three gyroscopes and a GPS, the device is able to come into action in 50 thousandths of a second via a helium cartridge, and automatically deflates the protective cushion of 5 liters in the next thirty seconds.

    Weighing in the 700 grams, the D-Air airbag should be generalized in competition from next season. But what about D-Street Air, the version intended for the general public? "As with the D-air, Dainese is keen that its airbag for road use be integrated into a garment: we quickly abandoned the idea of ​​a vest to put on over a jacket, because in our eyes this represents too many constraints for its user", continues Alessandro Belluti.

    "However, the accident scenarios on the road being more numerous and more difficult to understand, it is possible that the D-Street requires either an attachment to the motorcycle, or the installation of sensors directly on the motorcycle. (like the system currently developed by the French group Holding Trophy, read, Editor’s note) ", continues the engineer:"in addition, this model will surely inflate faster than the racing model and the cushion will cover a larger part of the neck and shoulders".

    With marketing planned for 2011, D-Street Air is a priority research area for Dainese, which wishes to take a step forward in the protection of its customers. It remains to determine its cost (10 to 20% of the price will depend on the on-board electronics, the bag constituting the most expensive element), its weight, its size … and the reactions of bikers against it. !

    The challenge therefore seems sizeable for Dainese, but the equipment manufacturer does not seem to skimp on time or resources (financial, technical and human) to carry out its project, in line with the motto of its founder: "protect man from head to toe in dynamic sports"…

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