The fire helmet made from DSM’s Stanyl thermoplastic

Rosenbauer, the world leader in mobile fire protection and civil defence solutions, recently introduced “Heros-Xtreme,” a new fireman’s helmet, tested and approved according to EN 443:1997 and prEN 443:2006.

The material selected for this application was Stanyl, which offers outstanding heat stability. The high temperature thermoplastic is created to offer greater impact and penetration resistance so that the helmet is stable even at extreme temperatures.
The Rosenbauer Group was said to be pleased with the new product’s properties and performance.
“We are dedicated to providing the very best in fire-fighting and safety vehicles and gear” said Hans Detzlhofer, vice president of the Rosenbauer Group. “Fire helmets must perform among the most stressful of environments, combining maximum protection with user comfort and convenience. We sought a material that would be tough enough to withstand the hardships of a firefighter’s job, yet light enough for the wearer to manoeuvre easily, with no compromise on design or safety.”
DSM said that it worked closely with Austrian-based Advanced Polymer Compounds (APC) a company specialised among other things in formulating and testing recipes in compounding processes, and succeeded in meeting the technological challenge of developing a product that does not self-ignite, drip or delaminate at temperatures of up to 250ºC.
“The result is a solution that passed all thermal, chemical and mechanical tests with flying colours. Future Advanced Composites & Technology in Germany was responsible for carrying out the long-fibre reinforcement process,” the company said.