贾比尔公司(NYSE: JBL) has teamed up withKAV Sportsto make customized, made-to-order cycling helmets that are more comfortable and safer. These helmets will be made using custom-engineered materials and additive manufacturing. The KAV Portola helmet, which was named by Time Magazine as one of the “greatest innovations of 2022,” is fashioned from a proprietary nylon carbon-fiber material developed by Jabil to fulfill stringent performance and aesthetic criteria.
Whitman Kwok, founder and CEO of KAV Sports said the project’s aim is to save lives. KAV Sports wanted to design a better-fitting helmet people would like to wear. In order for customers to enjoy the benefits of customization, KAV had to overcome material and production limits. “Jabil knocked it out of the park by engineering a custom material that met stringent criteria and could be manufactured using 3D printing to create something really unique and special for the helmet industry,” said Kwok.
开发理想的合身
Traditional bike helmets are made of injection-molded, expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam and come in one to three sizes, which aren’t enough to fit a wide range of head sizes and shapes. In addition, standard helmets lack stability, durability, and comfort.
KAV wanted a material as light as EPS, but it also had to work well in temperatures from -15 degrees Celsius to above 60 degrees Celsius. Engineers at KAV looked into more than 20 commercially available materials, but none of them met the company’s requirements for being able to absorb high-speed impacts and stay stable in bad weather.
KAV邀请了Jabil的帮助，以开发一种刚性且耐用却足够灵活的材料，以承受高温和低温。除了更好地吸收能量外，该材料还需要在其层之间更好地粘附，以保持一致的性能和更令人愉悦的外观。在不到九个月的时间里，明尼苏达州贾比尔（Jabil）的材料创新中心（Jabil's Materials Innovation Center）的一组增材制造工程师，化学家，材料科学家和生产专家提出了一种全新的定制材料，这些定制材料满足了所有KAV的需求。
放置聚合物科学第一
To reach this benchmark, Jabil implemented extensive advancements in material formulation, compound development, material systems integration, and ISO 9001 accreditation for its Quality management system.
贾比尔（Jabil）添加剂制造产品管理主管Matt Torosian解释说：“我们采用聚合物科学方法来开发添加材料。Jabil工程师以可重复的方式与增材制造工艺合作的材料，以满足客户需求和制造高质量的产品。”
Jabil和Kav在建立具有所有必需品质的专有尼龙纤维纤维复合材料之前，在定制聚合物配方和化合物的三十次迭代中开发和测试。贾比尔（Jabil）在材料处理，测试和可伸缩性方面的经验有助于创建聚合物，更复杂的最终细丝并获得ISO 9001质量管理系统认证。
然后，KAV进行了美国消费者产品安全委员会（CPSC）所需的测试，以获得证明其安全性。当Kav在2022年4月使用新材料引入Portola头盔时，该公司声称该设备不仅满足，而且超过了25％以上的美国CPSC安全性标准。
Enhancing the Client Experience
KAV自己的材料有灰色，黑色和白色，为客户提供了很多选择。由于简单的定制过程和3D打印，可以在两到三个星期内交付订购的头盔。这些独特的，吸收能源的结构不能使用常规技术制造。此外，添加剂制造有助于KAV运动削减生产成本和浪费。
As a result of its successful partnership with Jabil, KAV wants to expand its product line and market reach. To do this, it will use Jabil’s additive manufacturing expertise, worldwide additive manufacturing capacity, and wide range of supply chain capabilities.
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特色图显示了KAV Sports 3D打印自行车头盔。通过Jabil的照片。
