3DSphere Builds a Very Cool 3D Printed DJ Helmet

The team at Belarus-based firm 3DSphere, 3dsfera.by, created a very cool project they call “Helmet for DJ,” and it’s a sort of Daft Punk piece of headgear which includes the requisite electronics and lighting to make you stand out from the crowd at your next dance event.

The 3DSphere helmet project was aimed at topping off part of a full suit which would feature in a music and light show, and they began by modeling their vision in 3D to determine the construction methods and cost estimates for the piece.

The main part of this helmet was then printed with a Stratasys Fortus 400 mc, and the 3D printing took a full 12 hours to complete.

The team initially divided the work into nine separate elements:

• Preparation
• Development of a 3D model
• Calculating costs and selecting the materials
• Printing 3D prototype models
• Vacuum forming the faceplate glass
• Final parts preparation and painting
• Assembly
• Completing the interior finish and fitment
• Making and testing the electrical connections

Working from a “very brief description” provided by their customer, the team started out by creating an image while considering how they would take on ventilation issues and calculating the loads on stress-bearing elements of the case.

They then created 3D models for a given range of standard head sizes and tested the structural strength of the model and chose locations for ribs or openings in the helmet they’d use for ventilation.

Once they had a 3D model in hand, that work allowed them to select the process and contractors they needed to do the various manufacturing pieces of the job, and after some thought, they decided on the order they’d take on the various elements.

First, they decided to 3D print the main part of the helmet, then to vacuum form the transparent glass and then take on the painting, glass insertion, interior finishes, and, finally, make and test all the electrical connections.

The facemask portion of the helmet was made with transparent Plexiglas. It was then polished, covered with a special varnish, and re-polished. The material was then ready to be placed in a GEISS T9 thermoforming machine for shaping.

The helmet was then lined with a natural hypoallergenic material which was sewn onto a leather base to make it easy to remove in case it needed servicing in the future.

LED strip lighting was then manually pasted into the helmet and connected to a microprocessor.

3DSphere says the entire process took some 22 days, which didn’t include weekends, but did include a few extra days to secure approval from the client.

Along with taking on projects like this very professional-looking DJ Helmet, 3DSphere sells 3D printers and supplies, and they say they’re the first suppliers of printers and materials in the Republic of Belarus. What do you think of this DJ helmet from 3DSphere in Belarus? Let us know in the 3D Printed DJ Helmet forum thread on 3DPB.com. Check out a video of the helmet, as well as more photos/renderings, below.