In this new ‘What is…’ series, REVzine takes readers behind the scenes at the companies some of the leading materials and technologies to date. For this edition, REV’IT! takes you inside HDM, Inc., to answer some frequently asked questions about SuperFabric®.
SuperFabric ? ®
How did new applications of SuperFabric® develop? The first applications focused on a medical glove material for the protection of doctors and nurses, against punctures by needles or cuts by scalpels, to avoid blood-borne infections such as AIDS. The concept worked very well. At the time, however, investment costs were
What were the first commercial applications of SuperFabric® materials? The first commercial applications of SuperFabric® were for fishing gloves and industrial safety gloves. Industrial safety is still one of its main applications today. Later, HDM Inc. entered the outdoor apparel and footwear markets, and started working with various military applications. SuperFabric® is also used in cleaning products, such as scrub
7 6
pads. The newest applications are transportation and furniture seating. There is huge interest in this area because of SuperFabric®’s unique durability, abrasion, and stain resistance. The same properties make SuperFabric® an excellent material for footwear applications; several well known brands use it as an outer material in their outdoor, military, and safety footwear. In the last two years, four companies won major international footwear awards for their designs using SuperFabric® brand materials.
When was SuperFabric® first used in protective gear for motorcyclists? HDM Inc. started working with motorcycle applications in 2005. REV’IT! was one of their first motorcycle apparel customers, which was great for both companies, as SuperFabric® and motorcycle apparel
Cut Resistance*
7.00
Puncture Resistance**
5 4 3.60
3 3.00
2 1
1 .8 .6 .4 .2
1.28 0.50
Leather
0.61
0.50
Rubber
0.04
Aramid
* Commercial grade stainless steel razor blade ** Stainless steel axisymmetric probe with .020° diameter, 26 degree tip angle
028
Coefficient of friction
The basic concept of SuperFabric® was created by physicist Dr. Young-Hwa Kim, who is the founder and CEO of HDM Inc. In 1996, a surgeon asked Dr. Kim if he could invent a medical glove that could stop a medical needle or a surgical knife. Since a medical glove must be flexible and soft, it seemed to Dr. Kim an impossible task: a layer of thin, flexible, and soft material cannot stop a sharp needle or a razor blade, he thought. But Dr. Kim was intrigued by the challenge. About four months later, Dr. Kim conceived an idea: one can create a flexible and thin layer made up of many hard plates, made from a material such as stainless steel, which are then interlocked to form a two-dimensional sheet. Dr. Kim designed the shape of the plates in such a way that no needle could get between them, even though the plates were relatively loosely connected. The sheet of plates was amazingly flexible and soft, and still no needle, knife or sharp razor blade could penetrate it. And so SuperFabric® was born.
prohibitively high, so the original concept was modified to broaden its material applications. Dr. Kim and his scientists decided to attach tiny hard plates to a fabric surface. The tiny plates would cover the entire surface of the fabric, except for narrow gaps between plates to keep the material flexible. This is the SuperFabric® that customers are familiar with today.
Force
When was SuperFabric® invented and how?
Superfabric® brand material
C
* Please no