Schuberth Helmet Development

Cool news arrives from Magdeburg, Germany, as Schuberth announces the inauguration of their all-new, state-of-the-art wind tunnel. Just as Schuberth is one of the biggest names in crash helmets in the world, you can expect this wind tunnel to be a high-tech facility.

In fact, this new lab is so much more than a mere wind tunnel. The facility, called the Schuberth Air & Acoustics Lab is also dealing with aeroacoustics and climate testing for both motorcycle and F1 helmets, so we are talking about a whole new level of efficiency for the German manufacturer.

Schuberth can simulate winds of up to 190 km/h () inside this tunnel. The "active area" has a length of 12 meters () and wind is produced by a massive 120kW, 1.6 m () axial flow fan. And because this structure must accommodate F1 cars, the measuring section can be extended from 1.5 meters to 3.9 meters.

Schuberth was the first helmet manufacturer in the world to use its own wind tunnel for helmet design development
The construction of the tunnel began more than three decades ago in the German city if Braunschweig. Schuberth was the first helmet manufacturer in the world to use their own wind tunnel for the design and development of new products, or improving the existing ones.

Subsequent changes in the company saw production moved to Magdeburg. In order to maintain the best workflow and communication between the various departments of the company, the decision to integrate the wind tunnel into the Magdeburg facility was only natural.

However, when the tunnel was moved, the structure also received state-of-the-art upgrades, and it now serves for complex testing procedures that also help Schuberth determine how the wearer comfort might vary in changing climatic conditions. Schuberth can now alter the temperature and humidity values inside the tunnel, tracking down more variables that help refine the helmet design.

"We have of course already done some research into the influence of the air temperature and humidity on the climate within the helmet in the past, and gained useful insights," Dr. Thomas Hagemeier, head of the new Schuberth Air & Acoustics Lab says. "But the new climate testing facility allows us to conduct systematic and simultaneous research and development of all criteria relevant to the comfort and active safety of our helmets," adds he.

Are Schuberth helmets becoming better in the future? We guess we can safely bet on that.