By: Sara Henning
Content Marketing Coordinator

“Protect the Quarterback!” I yelled at the TV as I threw the remote across the room one Sunday afternoon. Aaron Rodgers had been sacked way too many times so far in this game. My team is asking for another cracked collar bone, or even a concussion to take Rodgers out for the season. Protect the Quarterback, is it really that hard? There is only one line of defense, a plastic helmet and some foam pads. “This got me thinking about technology not only for sports, but for all industrial workers who put on a hard hat and face their own dangers on a regular basis.”

Helmet technology must take a big step forward in protecting people’s safety. It seems silly that we have developed advanced clothing materials, shoes that make you jump higher, and gloves that help you hold onto a football; however for the last 55 years helmet technology in sports safety, as well as hard hats for the industrial worker, has not made any major advances... up until now.

With the rise in advancements for 3D printing, the NFL has been funding research to improve football helmet safety and technology. A team at UCLA has been working on developing a material that is an energy-absorbing microlattice material. As an energy absorbing material, it will greatly improve the outcome of a powerful blow to the head; much more effective than the dense foam currently used in football helmets. The Architected Lattice is cost effective and can also be enhanced with a strain-sensing “smart lattice” to detect and transmit data about the impact of a collision. This data could help engineers and product designers make further improvements in all helmet designs and performance. Watch Video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkjZdbKMviI

What does this mean for the Industrial Industry? The technology of the lattice material could be so instrumental in saving lives for football players, that this technology could also be transferred to the use of hard hats as well. Head related injuries and even deaths are a big problem in construction and industrial plants. The Fatal Four accidents are: Falls, being struck by an object, electrocutions, and getting caught between objects. These fatal four account for 57% of deaths, not even accounting for serious injuries, within the construction industry. Falls (which could cause head injuries), and being struck by a falling object were the two largest incidents reported as shown by EHS Today’s Infographic below:

Imagine what the 3D printing technology, this Architected Lattice material and the data gathered from this material could do in the advancements of protecting industrial workers, NFL players, and all athletes that require a helmet. Even further, because the helmet’s unique material can function as a sensor it will have the ability to monitor the impact to the brain and can have a role in developing innovative ways to benefit public health. More than 500 Neuroscientists at UCLA are leading research to understand the human brain. This could be one more step in leading efforts to treat, cure and prevent traumatic brain injury to properly protect our industrial construction workers and to protect our children in the sports that they love to play.
Read the full article about the energy-absorbing microlattice material.

Want to receive more industry tips? Become a CTD community member