PROTOTYPING TUTORIAL FOR PROTECTIVE KNEE PAD DESIGN USING 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY
PROTOTYPING TUTORIAL FOR PROTECTIVE KNEE PAD DESIGN USING 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

Summary/Abstract: The practitioners of activities such as bouldering or mountain climbing sometimes find themselves in the situation of needing textile equipment that offer protection without limiting the body mobility. Modern design implies a complex process, from concept, to modelling, to prototyping and testing. The paper presents a tutorial which is useful for training of all those involved in designing, modelling and manufacturing knee pads integrated into protective garments, using certain principles regarding ergonomics, impact force management, texture, weight etc. The use of modelling software such as Rhinoceros 3D and Grasshopper offer also a wide array of tools for creating a virtual model which will be later evaluated in virtual strain tests. The next step is creating a physical prototype, in order to test and compare materials, textures and physical parameters. This is where 3D printing technologies come in, compacting the physical modelling and prototyping process and offering designers, manufacturers or students a better control over the whole design and development process. Parameters such as material, infill, shell thickness can greatly influence an object’s behaviour under strain tests. The fact that it can be build a minutely accurate scale prototype of a model in a very short time, without having to deal with the logistic or acquisition of expensive precision equipment, is especially relevant in the current context of the pandemic. This offers the possibility to create several prototypes of knee pads, made from plastics of varying degrees of rigidity, with differing infill percentage and layout, which will be further tested in order to assess their fit with the needs of climbers. In this context, 3D printing offers a new perspective in prototyping, providing a compact solution for most of the challenges in developing new functional or protective textile products.

• Details
• Contents