How Its Made - 1417 Thermoplastic Fire Helmets

thermoplastic fire helmets are lightweight but that doesn't mean they aren't tough because of their chemical composition these plastic helmets remain sturdy even when exposed to temperatures of over 500 degrees Fahrenheit develop in the 1970s the helmets have become standard-issue at many fire stations there are a few situations more dangerous than entering a burning building thermoplastic fire helmets weigh substantially less than other alternatives these helmets are one piece of equipment that won't slow down the rescue mission production starts with the special blend of thermo plastic pellets a vacuum pulls the pellets into a hopper the pellets then flow into an injection molding machine it melts and molds the pellets into the shape of a fire helmet a robot retrieves the helmet and transfers it to a cooling station a worker then clips off plastic that's solidified as it flowed through a channel and into the mold this unwanted bit is called sprue she wipes off fingerprints and inspects the condition of the helmet show [Music] the next worker trims the brim to remove excess plastic that formed when the mold closed for this process he uses a blade with a curved edge next he applies reflective strips that will allow the firefighter to be seen in the dark he drills holes for attaching either goggles or face shields and the worker adds a last reflective strip he screws a support plate for the ID shield to the front of the helmet show he uses plastic screws rather than metal because metal is electrically conductive and would put the firefighter at risk in the event of Electrical sparking during a fire another worker now applies labels to the inside of the helmet show the labels indicate that this model of fire helmet is in compliance with the safety requirements the worker inserts high density foam padding in the helmet shell the padded cap will cushion the wearer from the force of an impact this web of straps will serve as a suspension liner and will also support the helmet on the wearer's head [Music] another worker installs a ratchet system for adjusting the fit of the liner to the firefighters head positioned at the nape of the neck the firefighter can turn the knob to pull the suspension web tighter attachments on the suspension liner fit into sockets on the helmet to lock it in place he fastens the chin strap to the helmet by wrapping the ends around molded struts on both sides of the shell the chin strap has a quick-release button in the event that the firefighter has to remove the helmet fast another worker now folds up flame-resistant ear flaps the flaps are equipped with hook and loop fastening strips that fit to the helmet he sets the ear flaps aside while he inserts snaps for goggles and two brackets on the helmet [Music] he screws the snaps snuggly to the helmet the worker then wraps the fire and fog resistant goggles around the helmet and snatched them to it he tucks the maintenance instructions into the helmet followed by the folded ear flaps this thermoplastic fire helmet is now complete but there's still one last bit of official business the worker screws the large leather ID shield to the support plate the shield bears the name of the fire department and assemble that denotes rank this fire helmet is now ready for duty it will be one of the first things the firefighter reaches for when he or she gets an emergency call [Music]

Channel: How Its Made

Views: 201,093

Rating: 4.7836595 out of 5

Keywords: How Its Made, Documentary, Science, how, its, made, Thermoplastic Fire, Helmets

Id: gXybQW_Tkck

Length: 4min 52sec (292 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 05 2018