{"id":741221,"date":"2023-03-20T08:48:40","date_gmt":"2023-03-20T12:48:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/jabil-and-kav-sports-harness-the-power-of-engineered-materials-to-produce-game-changing-customized-bike-helmets\/"},"modified":"2023-03-20T08:48:40","modified_gmt":"2023-03-20T12:48:40","slug":"jabil-and-kav-sports-harness-the-power-of-engineered-materials-to-produce-game-changing-customized-bike-helmets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/jabil-and-kav-sports-harness-the-power-of-engineered-materials-to-produce-game-changing-customized-bike-helmets\/","title":{"rendered":"Jabil and KAV Sports Harness the Power of Engineered Materials to Produce Game-Changing Customized Bike Helmets"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Jabil and KAV Sports Harness the Power of Engineered Materials to Produce Game-Changing Customized Bike Helmets<\/b><\/p>\n

Innovative Materials Science and 3D Printing Collaboration Enable Mass Customization<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE<\/a>)–Jabil Inc.<\/a> (NYSE: JBL) has teamed with KAV Sports<\/a> on made-to-order, personalized bicycle helmets that deliver a better fit for superior comfort and protection using custom engineered materials<\/a> and additive manufacturing<\/a>. Recognized by Time Magazine<\/i> as one of the \u201cbest inventions of 2022,\u201d the KAV Portola helmet is made from custom nylon carbon-fiber material engineered by Jabil to meet exacting standards for performance and aesthetics.\n<\/p>\n

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https:\/\/www.businesswire.com\/news\/home\/20230320005419\/en\/<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Jabil<\/p>\n

Jabil teamed with KAV Sports on a custom material, available in different colors, to produce tailor-made, 3D-printed bike helmets. (Photo: Business Wire)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n\u201cTo fulfill our mission of saving lives, we needed to produce a better-fitting helmet that people would want to wear,\u201d said Whitman Kwok, founder and CEO of KAV Sports. \u201cFor consumers to experience the benefits of customization, we had to overcome limitations in materials and manufacturing. 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.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Innovating the Perfect Fit<\/b><\/p>\n

\nTraditional bike helmets are made from injection-molded, expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam and come in one to three sizes, which fall short in accommodating various head sizes and shapes. Moreover, typical helmets have limitations in stability, durability, and comfort.\n<\/p>\n

\nWhile KAV wanted a novel material that was as light as EPS, the company sought superior performance in temperatures ranging from -15 degrees to over 60 degrees Celsius. KAV engineers evaluated more than 20 off-the-shelf materials, all of which failed to meet the company\u2019s criteria for absorbing high-velocity impacts or providing sufficient stability under extreme environmental conditions.\n<\/p>\n

\nKAV enlisted the help of Jabil to create a custom material that was stiff and strong yet flexible enough to accommodate both high and low temperatures. In addition to providing excellent energy absorption, the material needed to increase layer-to-layer adhesion for consistent performance, as well as improved look-and-feel. A team of additive manufacturing engineers, chemists, materials scientists, and production experts at Jabil\u2019s Materials Innovation Center<\/a> in Minnesota created a completely new and customized material \u2014 in just nine months \u2014 that met all KAV\u2019s expectations.\n<\/p>\n

Prioritizing Polymer Science<\/b><\/p>\n

\nTo achieve that milestone, Jabil applied comprehensive innovations in materials formulation, compound development, materials systems integration, and ISO 9001 Quality Management System certification. \u201cWe take a polymer science approach to developing additive materials,\u201d said Matt Torosian, director, product management for additive manufacturing at Jabil. \u201cJabil engineers materials that work with additive manufacturing processes in a repeatable manner to meet customer requirements and manufacture top-quality products.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\nJabil and KAV developed and tested nearly 30 iterations of custom polymer formulations and compounds before creating the proprietary nylon carbon-fiber composite that embodied all the necessary properties. Jabil\u2019s extensive expertise and experience in materials processing, testing, and scaling proved instrumental in formulating the polymer, compounding the final filament and attaining ISO 9001 Quality Management System certification.\n<\/p>\n

\nKAV then completed the necessary validation testing to achieve certification in accordance with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). When KAV launched the Portola helmet featuring the new material in April 2022, the company asserted that the product not only met but exceeded U.S. CPSC safety standards for impact resistance by more than 25%.\n<\/p>\n

Improving Customer Experiences<\/b><\/p>\n

\nKAV\u2019s custom material is available in grey, black and white colors to offer flexible choices while a simple custom-fitting process and the use of 3D printing enable two-to-three-week delivery of made-to-order helmets. Production of these unique, energy-absorbing structures would not be possible via traditional manufacturing. Additive manufacturing also allows KAV Sports to reduce production costs and unnecessary waste.\n<\/p>\n

\nThanks to its highly productive collaboration with Jabil, KAV is planning to expand its product portfolio and market reach by leveraging Jabil\u2019s additive manufacturing prowess, global additive manufacturing capacity and extensive supply chain capabilities.\n<\/p>\n

Supporting Quotes and Resources<\/b><\/p>\n