D3O raises the bar with Smart Skin
06/02/2013
Designed for sports applications, the product offers wearers a lightweight and low-profile protective layer that can be directly applied to garments. D3O put it on display for the first time at ISPO 2013 in Munich at the start of February.
The lightweight concept is the first to feature D3O’s new formulation of its patented Aero technology, based on a soft open-celled PU foam. D3O Aero has been developed predominantly for the sportswear market and is a softer, less dense solution, half the weight of the company’s existing materials, while retaining high levels of protective properties against impacts.
Smart Skin’s process aims to improve and simplify the garment manufacturing process by removing the need to stitch and sew protective padding into garments or use pockets. An ultra-thin adhesive film is applied to the D3O protector during the moulding process, which is then heat-bonded directly to the garment. Each D3O protective component is encapsulated using a thin protective skin that can be customised to feature extra functionality such as UV-resistant, anti-abrasion and fire-retardant properties.
Product design and development manager, Eric DeGolier, said at the time of the launch: “Athletes want performance without compromise. Smart Skin takes the best high-performance materials available and makes them invisible next to your body. Whether you’re riding the backcountry or playing football, Smart Skin offers an unbeatable combination of protection and performance. The Holy Grail of protection is lighter, thinner, and higher performance. D3O has pushed the limits of this since we first introduced our light, flexible protection. Smart Skin has raised the bar again.”
Starting at a thickness of just three millimetres, the protective components can be positioned on a garment specifically to protect areas such as the coccyx, thighs, hips, knees, shoulders and elbows.
Invented by engineer Richard Palmer, D3O first came to prominence at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, when it provided protective solutions to the US and Canadian ski teams. Its technology has also gone into apparel for motorcycling, personal protective equipment and footwear.
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