Here at the Global Cycling Network we've been fortunate enough to be issued Kask helmets
over the last couple years and they've kindly invited us over to Italy
to look through the process of making that helmet.
We're going to go through it, right from the start to the finish
apparently I'm going to be involved, myself, in making one.
It all starts, apparently, with this.
So, let's see what the process is.
The first part of the process is to apply paint to what will become later
the shell of the helmet. Each color is applied five times before being put into
an oven for one hour at 120 degrees.
This drying process is an important one
because any moisture left can ruin the shell. The shell itself is actually made from three separate parts, with
different molds for the base, the back and sides, and the top of the helmet.
Each pod will then have to clear quality control
before heading off to the laser machine, which cuts the trim of the helmet, as well
as well as the all-important vents.
So, that's the helmet shell, but the main part of the helmet still
has to be made, and that's actually done in a completely different place,
which is where we are now. The main body actually starts of its life
like this... very, very small
polymeric beads is what they're called. They're left to rest for around 8 to 10 days
before being fed
up here, through tubes, as you can see are numbered, and that then goes through to the
various parts
and various machines around the factory where it will be molded into different types of helmets.
From the machine that's over there, as they go through all of the tubes, eventually
it comes down here to the machine behind me. Now you remember from earlier in the
video
these parts are made in the other parts the factory. This is exactly
parts for the Protone rather than the Mojitos, which we were looking at earlier
but, they'll use these bits here, and also take little inserts for the helmet
straps, et cetera,
put them all into the machine behind me, and as all the parts are fed into it,
it's baked at about six minutes, and out the other end
comes this, which of course looks much more like a helmet.
After that, the bottom part of the helmet is stuck on and then the helmet is brought
here
into a dehumidifier. It's actually 40 degrees in here.
I'm sweating quite a lot, and in that time the helmet will lose six grams of water
before it's then taken
to another place again.
So then this, the main most important shell part of the helmet, comes here to
separate part of Kask HQ here in Italy
and this is where the pads, the retention system in the back,
and the straps are finally put into place. And then it's all boxed up and
ready to go to dealers. I'm actually going to give this a little bit of a go myself.
Don't laugh.
It's a lot harder than it looks
It would be really embarrassing if it now comes out when I pull it.
Almost finished now and everything's been more difficult to do
than it looked before. Especially the bit where you had to use a bit of strength.
Alright, so it's almost done.
Just time for this very important bit, just making sure Si and Matt don't get their hands on this
And there we go!
Kask helmet... is made. Now thanks very much for watching this video. If you'd like to see
more videos along the same lines
then click up there, and find out exactly how Fizik make their saddles. And if you
click just down there
you can also see how Colnago make their frames. And make sure you subscribe to GCN
It's absolutely free, and all you need to do
is click on here. - I'm almost shaking with nervousness
So once all of the helmet is kind of assembled, and the bottom part is put on,
et cetera, et cetera... see you later! Ciao!