Traffi Glove, a UK-based Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) manufacturer, supplies a range of colour-coded gloves that indicate their level of protection. Red signifies the lowest protection, while green indicates the highest, covering both cut and chemical resistance.
Traffi Glove partnered with Mouse to design an impact protection glove for workers on oil rigs, requiring exceptional protection levels. IADC’s 2009 Incident Statistics Program (ISP) revealed that 34% of oil rig injuries were hand or finger-related, a concerning statistic with significant health and safety and financial implications due to lost work time.
Existing impact protection gloves on the market primarily relied on TPU material, which reduced impact through compression. Traffi Glove envisioned a solution that would far surpass these current standards in cut protection and impact protection, all while maintaining the crucial dexterity required to expertly operate a drill head on an oil rig.
The intial step was to began by analysing the market, purchasing every available impact glove to identify their strengths and weaknesses. We then explored impact protection methods in other fields, such as ballistic and motorcycle protection, to gather insights.
This research led us to the discovery of Non-Newtonian materials like D3O and Poron XRD. These advanced materials offered significant advantages over conventional compression materials like TPU, providing superior impact absorption while retaining the necessary dexterity for a functional glove. Recognising the potential, we initiated discussions with D3O to form a partnership for the glove’s development. At the time, D3O had very limited exposure to impact protection gloves and were enthusiastic about exploring the application of their material in this design context.
With a clear understanding of the market, competitor products, and a partnership with an innovative material supplier, we delved into medical textbooks to understand the bone structure of the hand and identify vulnerable points. This knowledge, combined with the oil rig hand injury reports, formed the basis for our concept creation.
The key was to design a protective form that covered all essential areas while allowing for easy hand and finger movement for drill head operation.
We developed several prototypes of the protection shape, starting with 2D forms, progressing to basic 3D sheet forms, and then refining the details. This iterative process allowed for natural changes and alterations as we learned what worked best, both functionally and aesthetically.
The standout achievement of this project was the creation of a glove that delivered 38% more impact protection in compression tests compared to its closest rival. The design also significantly enhanced safety by providing 25% greater coverage of critical hand areas compared to existing products in the PPE market.
The collaboration between Traffi Glove and D3O provided a strong foundation for developing a scientifically proven product. The glove, launched at the A&A show in Germany, generated significant industry interest. During the design phase, Mouse pushed D3O to innovate their production process to accommodate the necessary design details, leading to D3O filing a patent for the manufacturing process that Mouse helped them create. (This process is now pivotal to D3O’s 3D formed product manufacturing.)
If your company is looking to break new ground in PPE design and create cutting-edge safety equipment, we’d be thrilled to collaborate and bring your vision to life! Get in touch – we’re always eager to tackle new challenges.
