Revolutionizing Ice Hockey Safety: The World’s First NHL-Certified 3D Printed Helmet by CCM and Carbon

Ice hockey, a sport celebrated globally and immensely popular in North America, is renowned for its speed, skill, and physicality. However, this high-octane nature often leads to injuries, making top-tier protective equipment not just recommended, but absolutely essential. Players, whether professional or amateur, rely heavily on their gear to mitigate serious damage during intense games and rigorous practices. Recognizing this critical need for advanced protection, CCM Hockey, a leading Canadian sports goods manufacturer with a long history in the sport, forged a groundbreaking partnership with Carbon, an American additive manufacturing pioneer. Together, they have introduced a monumental innovation: the world’s first NHL-certified 3D printed hockey helmet liner, integrated into the new Super Tacks X helmets. This collaboration leverages Carbon’s proprietary Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) technology to redefine player safety, comfort, and performance on the ice.

Carbon stands at the forefront of the additive manufacturing industry, celebrated for its revolutionary Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) technology and its unparalleled expertise in engineering intricate lattice structures. This innovative approach to 3D printing has captured the attention of diverse sectors, all eager to integrate Carbon’s advanced manufacturing solutions. From the automotive giants striving for lightweight, high-performance components to leading sports apparel brands seeking superior athletic gear, Carbon’s technology has proven incredibly versatile. Notably, the California-based company has previously collaborated with Adidas to conceptualize and produce advanced 3D printed sneakers, pushing the boundaries of footwear design and performance. In the luxury automotive sector, Carbon partnered with Lamborghini to additively manufacture sophisticated parts for their high-performance sports cars, demonstrating the technology’s capability for precision and strength. Similarly, their work with Specialized led to the development of ergonomically superior 3D printed bicycle saddles, enhancing rider comfort and efficiency. The application of 3D printed inner lining for protective gear is not new territory for Carbon either; they famously worked with Riddell to design innovative helmets for American football, significantly improving player safety in another high-impact sport. However, their latest venture with CCM Hockey marks a truly historic milestone, resulting in the Super Tacks X – the world’s inaugural hockey helmet featuring NEST (Next Evolution Sense Technology). This digitally printed, lattice-structured liner sets a new standard, offering unparalleled breathability, enhanced comfort, and dramatically superior protection against impacts.

A significant departure from conventional helmet design, the new Super Tacks X helmets are lined with a cutting-edge polyurethane-based lattice structure instead of the traditional layers of foam. For decades, multi-layered foam padding was the standard for protecting hockey players from the forces of collisions and falls. While effective to a degree, foam has inherent limitations in dissipating energy across various types of impacts. Carbon’s lattice structure, however, represents a paradigm shift. It is comprised of thousands of precisely positioned struts – the individual bars that form the intricate network – which are meticulously engineered to absorb and redirect the physical energy of impacts with far greater efficiency. This innovative inner lining is strategically placed between the player’s head and the helmet’s outer shell, acting as a dynamic shield against damaging forces. The design’s brilliance lies in its adaptability: a tighter lattice with smaller cells is expertly configured to handle smaller, more frequent impacts, distributing localized pressure effectively. Conversely, areas with larger cells are optimized to absorb the immense forces generated by larger, high-energy impacts, preventing them from reaching the skull. Phil DeSimone, CCO and Co-Founder of Carbon, elaborated on this advanced engineering, stating, “Each one is designed using millions of data points that CCM has collected over a long period of time to provide the best performance possible. So each strut is specifically designed to expense energy both in linear and rotational ways better than what foam can do.” This data-driven approach allows for an unprecedented level of customization and impact mitigation, addressing both direct linear forces and the dangerous rotational forces that contribute significantly to concussions.

The advanced design of the Super Tacks X helmet, with its revolutionary lattice liner, doesn’t just promise enhanced safety; it also delivers significant improvements in player comfort and breathability. Unlike dense foam, the open cellular structure of the lattice allows for superior airflow, significantly reducing heat buildup and keeping players cooler and more focused during intense periods of play. This combination of superior impact absorption, ventilation, and a custom-engineered fit translates into a truly next-generation protective gear experience. The immediate impact of this innovation was evident as plans were set for the Super Tacks X to be widely available for all NHL players in the upcoming 2021 season, a testament to its proven efficacy and certified safety standards. Even before its official league-wide rollout, astute hockey fans likely spotted the groundbreaking 3D printed helmet being worn by several elite professional players during the 2020 season. Among these pioneers were Austin Matthews and John Tavares, star forwards for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Seth Jones, a prominent defenseman for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Their early adoption and positive feedback provided invaluable real-world validation, underscoring the helmet’s performance benefits at the highest level of the sport.

The enthusiasm generated by the Super Tacks X helmet extends far beyond the professional arena. In exciting news for the broader hockey community, including passionate fans and non-professional players alike, the innovative 3D printed Super Tacks X helmets will not be exclusive to NHL athletes. CCM and Carbon have committed to making this advanced protective equipment accessible to the general public, democratizing cutting-edge safety technology. This means that club players, recreational league participants, and aspiring young athletes will soon have the opportunity to experience the same level of enhanced protection, comfort, and breathability as their professional heroes. The commercialization of the Super Tacks X, eagerly anticipated, is slated for the spring of 2021. This broader availability signifies a pivotal moment for ice hockey safety, as it brings a truly revolutionary product, born from the synergy of advanced additive manufacturing and deep sports engineering expertise, to a wider audience. It underscores the potential of 3D printing to not only innovate at an elite level but also to elevate safety standards across all tiers of sport, fundamentally changing how we think about protective gear and player well-being in high-impact activities.

The collaborative efforts of Carbon and CCM in designing and bringing to market this revolutionary 3D printed hockey helmet liner represent a significant leap forward in sports safety and additive manufacturing technology. We are eager to hear your thoughts on this innovative partnership and the future of protective sports equipment. Please share your opinions and insights in the comments section below, or engage with us on our Facebook and Twitter pages! For those who wish to stay continuously informed about the latest advancements and news in the dynamic world of 3D printing, don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter, delivering all the essential updates directly to your inbox!