Hand Made Helmets by Nexx factory | Nexx Helmet manufacturing

One of our mates recently paid a visit to the Nexx helmet factory in Amoreira just outside Porto in Portugal.

The parts of Portugal that he saw are really beautiful, “Put it on your list for a holiday sometime.”

But this feature is about Nexx hand made helmets. for more great products please visit: www.dirtandtrail.co.za

NEXX Helmets were created in April 2001 by Helder Loureiro, a former manager with other motorcycle helmet manufacturers. Nexx is one of the only European manufacturers of helmets. Most helmets are now manufactured in the East. Nexx is produced 95% in Portugal.

Locally, this brand is imported by Autocycle Centre.

Helmet manufacture is fascinating. Nexx is massive, churning out an average of 600 lids a day. All by hand.

From the shell, to EPS liners, to the stitching and it all happens in 3 massive factories.

Only the visors are outsourced.

Every other component is sourced within 90 KM’s of the factory in order to reduce carbon footprint and to support the local economy. That’s from the aramid and carbon fibre weave, to the clips and buckles.

Our tour guide took us through the manufacturing process, step by step – and it’s really quite amazing to see.

27 pairs of hands work on each Nexx helmet.

Making the shell:

Step 1.

Massive sheets of Aramid or Carbon Fibre weave are laid out and cut to size for fitment into a mould. Once that’s done, the operator adds a surprisingly small amount of specialized resin. From there a bag is inserted and inflated, this compresses the weave and eliminates all air, leaving a perfectly shaped shell. The shell then goes to a water cutter for precise cutting and then on to a human for cutting, drilling and cleanup.

Step 2:

The shell then moves along for a base coat – all done by hand. Then it’s back to human hands for polishing, sanding and inspection. The base colour is then applied by hand and the shell is baked to cure the paint.

Step 3:

Final inspection and graphic application is only done by ladies and we’ve seen this in various factories around the globe. Girls tend to be a bit more patient and take more care.

The shells then receive a coat of clear lacquer and head back to the oven before being retro fitted.

Liners:

There is a massive floor, the biggest department of the lot, with acres of desks and ladies all busy on sewing machines. They manufacture everything, from the chin straps to the high tech liners. It’s really quite something to see.

The EPS liners (Polystyrene inner shells, but more technical than that), are made inhouse and are multi density in order to ensure optimum impact protection in key areas.

Assembly:

There are multiple assembly pods and parts bays, each with its own specialist technicians.

Each pod only assembles one or two helmet models to ensure efficiency, quality and consistency. Each technician only assembles half of the helmet.

First, all the components like straps, vents, internal visors etc are attached to the shell.

Then the EPS liner is inserted.

From there, the comfort liners and cheek pads are inserted and checked.

The final steps are visor and peak fitment.

Then it’s off to Quality control – all by hand. The helmets are then packed and sent to the shipping department for distribution around the globe.

Research and Development:

We were amazed at the quality control and testing that we saw, some of the testing and so-on would never actually cross our minds.

One of them is a machine that spends its life just opening and closing a visor. All day long…to ensure that the mechanisms are up to standard.

Then there’s another robotic arm that spends its life opening and closing the internal visors…

And then there’s the stuff that you might know about.

A machine that tests the strength of the chin straps and fasteners.

Various impact machines that literally try to smash the shell.

This is all to meet or exceed the very latest CE and DOT standards, and those have just been revised.

All in – pretty flippen amazing to see, who knew that so much tech goes into protecting your pip. And now you know the amount of work that goes in to each Nexx helmet.

Available nationally at your PBA dealer.