Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
COMPOSITE
M AT E R I A L S
Article
Abstract
The proposed research aims to develop a novel technique for the creation of composite riot helmet shells with
reinforcing fibre continuity for better protection against low-velocity impacts. In this research paper, an innovative,
simple and effective method of making a single-piece continuous textile reinforced helmet shell using vacuum bagging has
been established and discussed. This technique also includes the development of solid collapsible moulding apparatus
from nonwoven fibres. Angle-interlock fabric, due to its good mouldability, low shear rigidity and ease of production,
is used in this research. Several wrinkle-free single-piece composite riot helmet shells have been manufactured.
Keywords
Riot helmet shell, composites, mouldability, nonwoven, shear rigidity, angle-interlock fabric
Introduction
Helmet shells with continuous reinforcement led to
better protection against trauma impact on the head.
This is a new area for research and not much direct
literature has been published on the theoretical and
practical investigations on riot police helmet shells.1,2
The main purpose of helmets is to protect the wearer
from various types of external impacts. Injury to the
head can cause symptoms such as skull deformation
and brain contusions.3 The inertial eects can also
cause problems such as cerebra-concussion, i.e. a
small movement of the brain due to a relative movement of skull and xed membranes, and there may be
damage to the tissues as well. These eects can lead to
loss of function or physical disruption of neural tissues
and the victim may suer traumatic eects.
Head protection is one of the most important needs
for the police ocers who are vulnerable to thrown
objects. In order to control the crowd, the police use
dierent techniques and strategies. For personal safety,
police ocers usually wear body armour, helmets, face
shields, and limb protectors. There were approximately
40,000 helmets used throughout the United Kingdom
in 2003.2 There is an annual demand of approximately
12,000 riot helmets for the police in the United
Kingdom.4 Every tactical ocer who is trained for
Corresponding author:
Bilal Zahid, Textile Engineering Department, NED University of
Engineering and Technology, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Email: drbilalzahid@neduet.edu.pk
2344
is a need to develop a new technique for the manufacture of single-piece fabric-reinforced riot helmet shell
and this is one of the target areas for the present
research.
The present research aims to innovate a novel technique for manufacturing composite riot helmet shells
with reinforcing textile bre continuity. It also includes
establishment of a procedure for the manufacturing of
riot helmet shells. It will also provide guidance to the
future practical production process for the industry.
Manufacturing of AI fabric
Density (g/cm )
Tensile Modulus (GPa)
Ultimate tensile strength (MPa)
Kevlar 29
Kevlar 49
1.44
70.50
2920
1.44
112.40
3000
2345
carried out in order to form a proper edge for the
helmet shell on the mould.
. Removal of a cured helmet shell o the mould: the
mould should be developed in such a way that after
curing, the helmet shell should be removable easily
in a single-piece. Therefore, a collapsible mechanism
needs to be designed for the mould.
2346
Figure 7. Post vacuum-assisted draping technique (VADT) views (a) Side (b) Back (c) Front (d) Top.
Figure 8. Riot helmet shell manufacturing using the vacuum bagging method.
Draping process
In the current study, the helmet shell fabrication technique involves a series of steps namely: fabric draping,
edge formation, vacuum bagging, and removal of the
shell o the mould. The prime objective was to constrain the fabric over the mould without any wrinkle
formation and to use vacuum bagging to form a cured
single-piece helmet shell.
The helmet shell was made in mainly two stages: rst
the draping process and second the vacuum bagging.
For optimal results, these two stages are related to each
other in such a way that the careful measures adopted
in the draping process ends up with better results in the
vacuum bagging.
Minimisation of fabric usage is important. For that
purpose, an exact outer perimeter from the front edge
2347
Figure 10. (a) Two inlet valves and (b) Single inlet valve.
Figure 11. Different varieties of infusion mesh (a) flexible and (b) rigid.
2348
2349
Figure 16. (a) Developed single-piece riot helmet shell and (b) finished look of developed single-piece riot helmet shell.
2350
Conclusion
The important achievement in this paper is the development of a successful method for making single-piece
riot helmet shell from AI fabric using the vacuum bagging process. A nonwoven glass bre mould has been
developed. The mould contains a collapsible and xable
mechanism for easy removal of the shell from the
mould. Further, VADT have been established which
provide wrinkle-free draping of AI fabric on the
helmet mould. This technique can be used to drape
mouldable fabric onto a mould for vacuum bagging.
Finally, composite riot helmet shells were successfully
produced. A detailed procedure for making single-piece
riot helmet shells has been discussed.
The technique developed for the manufacturing of
single-piece riot helmet shells can be used for the development of dierent varieties of bi-curvature composite
structures and almost any shape of composite helmet
shells can be developed.
Funding
This study was nancially supported by NED University of
Engineering and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan.
Conflict of Interest
None declared.
References
2351