Dashel
Client: Dashel
Project: Dashel
Year: 2022
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Sourcing
Prototyping
DFM
Mass Production
Dashel approached us to help develop the next generation of their helmet for mass production – having worked together previously on the original design.
Our challenge was to update the design, incorporate new components and prepare it for mass production.
Designing for manufacture
This project was as much about working collaboratively with manufacturers as it was about design. Dashel helmets are made in the UK, which often means working with a network of suppliers – rather than one contract manufacturer.
Sourcing and Problem Solving
In order to help Dashel adapt the current design, we first had to source a new adjuster strap to help reduce the number of SKUs and improve fit of the design. We found a component that was a perfect fit, but it needed a novel way of being attached to the body of the helmet.
Prototyping and Testing
We started a series of experimental fixtures that could help attach the adjuster dial into the design, producing quick CAD and prototypes to explore different approaches to the issue, each with specific tradeoffs. We’d review these regularly with the Dashel team, making sure that what we were proposing would fit with the assembly strategy, pass safety recertification and be reliable enough for everyday use.
Tooling & Mass Production
Having settled on a specific solution, we worked with Dashel’s manufacturing partner to prepare the tooling data for the design, making adjustments for tooling for things like draft, witness lines, shrinkage and other potential issues.
