Riddell and Carbon have partnered to bring custom, digital design innovation to head protection through Riddell’s new Diamond helmet platform. The helmet features a 3D printed lattice liner that is digitally manufactured using Carbon’s Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) technology. The technology is initially available in the Riddell SpeedFlex Precision Diamond helmet model, which features Riddell’s Precision-Fit head scanning and helmet fitting process. The result is next-generation head protection for today’s athletes–a custom, 3D printed helmet liner precisely contoured to the athlete’s head.
The custom helmet liner is made from a highly damping elastomer from Carbon formed in a lattice structure.
The Carbon Lattice Engine leverages physical simulation and optimization techniques to tune structures to manage linear and rotational impact energies. Each helmet is made up of more than 140,000 individual struts, carefully orchestrated into patterns for attenuating impact forces while providing excellent comfort and fit.
The result is a Carbon DLS-printed, custom fit, impact absorbing helmet liner designed to advance the state-of-the-art in head protection. Riddell’s proprietary database of over 5 million impacts captured by Riddell’s smart helmet technology will allow for custom and individualized tuning of lattice structures in the future.
Carbon’s recent breakthroughs in software, hardware and materials make the Diamond platform possible. The latest advances in Carbon’s platform include the new L1 printer and custom resin material. The L1, also being unveiled by Carbon, is specially designed and built to produce at scale. The custom resin used to print the lattice structures in the Diamond liners was designed specifically to meet Riddell’s rigorous performance requirements.
“As someone who’s spent thousands of hours watching film, I know that no two players play the same way,” said Riddell Strategic Advisor and Brand Ambassador Peyton Manning. “They all have different styles and tendencies on the field, which is another key benefit to Riddell’s Diamond Technology. With the SpeedFlex Precision Diamond, players are not only experiencing the latest in head protection, they can also dictate where the helmet is positioned to improve sightlines and maximize field vision.”
Riddell SpeedFlex Precision Diamond helmets were used by select players on most NFL teams during the 2018 season and will be commercially available on a limited basis at the elite level starting in 2019.
Riddell Diamond Technology
www.riddell.com/diamond
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