NEW VANZO – The helmets Abus of the performance category are designed, developed and produced in ItalyOn more than one occasion we have carried out tests, technical analyses on the Abus helmets, underlining the overall high quality of the products, but it is the first time that we enter the heart of the system.
We were in Vanzo Nuovo, in the province of Vicenza, where the headquarters is located Maxi Studio, Or the operational section (Abus Italia's headquarters are in Imola) Of Abus for the production of high- and mid-range performance helmets. Let's see what's behind a "simple" helmet.
The first 100 years of Abus
The company was founded in 1924 and it is still family-run today, despite having become a giant in the field of of your digital ecosystem. (the Abus world is divided into three categories main, home, commercial and mobile security). Abus was born as a manufacturing company for padlocks. It was founded by Bremiker family and today it has 5 different offices in Europe (the headquarters are in Wetter, Germany).
Today, 90% of the production of e-bike cylinders and lock blocks is produced by Abus. Each Abus factory is autonomous in terms of production, meaning that all the machinery and molds are designed and created internally. In total, it counts 4000 employees worldwide, with 25 branches in 102 countries.
Italian market to be developed
To better contextualize some commercial categories of Abus, we asked Charles Hancock, Category Manager – Track Security for Abuse Italy.
"Abus doesn't just produce helmets, even though, especially in Italy, the company is best known for this category of products. In reality," Hancock tells us, "if we analyze the numbers globally, the lion's share goes to padlocks and, more generally, anti-theft systems. This means that there is a huge potential also linked to a commuting category and urban growing especially in large cities, congested by motorized traffic".
The Italian collaboration
Between Abus and Maxi Studio a real relationship is born collaboration in 2016 and that goes far beyond work. Maxi Studio was founded in 1993 by the Simonaggio family. In 2017, the first Abus helmet with completely Italian design and production arrives and it is the aero concept model game changer.
The Vicenza-based company also makes its expertise available for the industrialisation of helmets, with the various necessary processes (which are by no means trivial and anything but obvious), including for what concerns certifications (which are also carried out thanks to the Newton Laboratory of Rho, also widely used in the motorsport field). In 2021 Abus definitively acquires MaxiStudio.
Behind the scenes of a helmet
A helmet is in fact a active protection system, a security tool that regardless of how it is made is priceless, especially for what it represents. But we also like to be parochial and once again underline the quality of the Italian workersIs a helmet just a piece of plastic and polystyrene? Definitely not. To put a helmet into production in this day and age, it takes years of research and development, testing and analysis of materials, simulations and industrialization of various processes.
There's styrofoam and styrofoamLet's hear what he told us. Corrado Salvatore of the sales and marketing department of Abus on staff at the Maxi Studio headquarters, in direct contact with production.
"Polystyrene," he explains, "is one of the many petroleum derivatives. It is obtained through two processes: evaporation of the polymer or extrusion. What we use for Abus helmets It is of Austrian origin and from a qualitative point of view it is the best, also considering the various certifications. Furthermore, polystyrene itself has some specific densities, suitable for different commercial categories. This means that the one used for helmets has a different density than the one used in the food sector. And this is just one example.
The evolution of Abus helmets
«The concept of evolution does not only refer to design, indeed, the very shapes and use of the wind tunnel – continues Salvatore – are a sort of consequence and further stimulus for production and development phases which also concern the shape the raw materials.
«Over the years we have achieved helmets that are increasingly lighter, higher-performance and more functional, but also beautiful to look at once worn, all with a protective power that has increased exponentially. Furthermore – continues Salvatore – they also live longer».
Also handmade
«Every Abus helmet is the result of a combination of factors – argues Salvatore – because in addition to a series of automated procedures, there is the added value of handmadeAll the helmets we take in our hands and wear require the use of top-class workersThe work that goes into each piece is difficult to imagine. It starts with the designers, and then moves on to the next stage where what has been sketched must be translated to the real world.
"From here," Salvatore continues, "a process of industrialization and adaptation of the machinery is triggered. Certifications and controls also concern the raw materials. Every change, every single variation requires a dedicated certification, safety and quality are not detailsFor example, the white polystyrene inside the helmet, Salvatore concludes, requires a different certification than the standard black polystyrene. Many non-trivial steps, but the end result makes up for the work we put in.
