[Best of 2019] This custom 3D-printed bicycle helmet is the future of saving skulls

In Britainmore than 100 cyclists are killed and more than 3,000 are seriously injuredeach year.

Reducing these numbers is no small task.

Tackling helmets head on

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Choosing which helmet is just as divisive.

The firm said its WaveCel helmets were48 times more effectiveat preventing concussions than traditional foam-based lids.

Not everyone agrees, though.

And initial tests suggest its 3D-printed bike helmet will be a force to be reckoned with.

MIPS and WaveCel are effectively liners that create a protective interface between foam outershell and the wearers skull.

Theyre designed to absorb rotational forces and oblique impacts better than conventional un-lined helmets.

Foam absorbs impacts best when forces are head-on, against flat surfaces.

Whats more, EPS foam is terrible for the environment.

It doesnt biodegrade, is made using crude oil, and is wasteful to produce.

By leveraging 3D printing, HEXR thinks it can make a better product both for riders and the environment.

Innovation is always messy, Cook told me.

[For] all of these foam helmets, production hasnt changed in years.

Its kind of complicated, Cook added.

As a HEXR helmet experiences an impact, the contact area increases across more cells.

As more cells are recruited, impact forces are reduced and energy is dissipated across a greater area.

Producing the intricate hexagonal structures fast and cost-effectively is not easy.

Conventional plastic injection molding techniques are up to the job Cook said, but the issue here is tooling.

Injection molding requires a parent mold in which liquid plastic is forced to form the shape of the product.

Again, not something that can happen overnight.

When I first started I was in awe of the technology.

It was continual prototyping that allowed it to test the limits of the hexagonal cell.

It simply wouldnt have been economically feasible with conventional manufacturing techniques.

Its actually quite heavy-handed to refer to what HEXR does as 3D printing.

Everything was 3D printed, from the beginning, Cook said.

The two most crucial parts were finding the best jot down of 3D printing and base material to use.

Turning a mass of powder into a single structure.

Each machine is about the size of a big American-style fridge-freezer.

Inside each machine sits a metal bucket, about two feet tall, by one foot square.

The metal buckets are home to a platform on to which the helmets are printed.

Its similar to the way a printer head moves across a piece of paper.

After every cycle of the head, lasers draw what is effectively a two-dimensional shape on the powder.

These lasers are infact sintering and melting the powder together into a very specific shape.

When this happens, the powder melts together, cools, and forms a solid.

However, lots of powder doesnt actually go on to form part of the final product.

Thanfully this extra powder isnt wasted, though, as its recycled and resused.

Unlike traditional manufacturing processes, 3D printing doesnt generate much waste material.

Whats more, Polyamide 11 isfar more environmentally friendly than the standard EPS foam.

Its made from castor beans!

This is when the blocks of powder, and printed helmets, are removed from their metal buckets.

Hard product is separated, in an archaeological dig-like fashion, from the loose un-sintered powder.

Its also the first part of the process which requires human intervention.

The helmets aerodynamic-shell is made and painted in Fareham, UK.

Chin straps are assembled in the UK, as are the helmets ratchet and buckles.

Just one custom helmet for each individual customer.

Without 3D printing, HEXR would have taken many more years to reach the market.

It probably would have come at a far greater environmental cost too.

But the benefits of additive manufacturing dont stop here.

One of the biggest challenges with making helmets or any clothing for that matter is sizing.

These cameras are becoming increasingly common in mainstream smartphones.

HEXR expects to be able to let customers scan their own heads with their own phones soon.

Alongside its additive manufacturing process, the headscan is a crucial component to HEXRs manufacturing process, Cook says.

Safety first

I have to ask, is HEXRs radical approach to manufacture and design worth it?

In other words, is HEXRs use of 3D printing actually making a safer helmet?

Custom is one thing, but its got to perform.

After all, a helmets primary function is to protect your head.

Initial third-party tests show HEXRs designs are beating out the competition, and are doing it with aplomb.

Under EN 1078 standards, helmets are required to deliver a peak deceleration force of less than 250G.

HEXRs helmets produced an average linear force of 144G.

So there is still work to be done.

It all sounds great doesnt it?

And I would for the most part agree, but there are some caveats.

The low down

The pros are obvious.

Its also lighter, and claims to be more aerodynamic two important characteristics for keen cyclists.

And in my personal opinion, having spent an afternoon with one, it looks incredible.

But there is a catch.

Its 299 ($390).

Thats a lot of money for a helmet, even for hardcore cyclists.

Just because you spend more, doesnt mean youre getting a safer helmet.

Typically, high-end road helmets weigh around 200g, like theSpecialized S-works Prevail that costs $200.

Perhaps the biggest factor that will set HEXR apart from the crowd is comfort.

Now, Im yet to use one but would I buy one for myself at this price?

HEXRs environmentally conscious approach to manufacturing is an undeniably good thing.

But until one needs another helmet, it would just be additional superfluous consumption to buy one.

Catching up with expectations

Ten years ago, the words 3D printing were splattered across the headlines.

It was largely hailed as a new technological panacea that would disrupt traditional manufacturing, allegedly for the better.

In December 2010, PC World magazine ran a feature titled: The 3D printer revolution countdown.

Earlier in the same year, New York Times ran a piece titled 3D printing spurs a manufacturing revolution.

Business Insider called it the next trillion dollar industry.

But it seems were still waiting.

Recently, one of the worlds biggest bike manufacturers Specializedannounced a 3D printed version of a racing saddle.

And Silicon Valley composites company Arevodisplayed its 3D printed bike frame at Eurobikeearlier this year.

But both these products are a way off yet.

But you should care about what the company is doing with its environmentally conscious additive manufacturing process.

Its one of the most tangible, real-world use cases of the technology.

And its happening now.

HEXR remains unique, not just in the helmet world but in the manufacturing world.

Story byMatthew Beedham

Matthew is the editor of SHIFT.

He likes electric cars, and other things with wheels, wings, or hulls.

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