This image shows Snell helmet impact test rig. Before a helmet can be Snell-certified, it is tested in Snell’s test facility. Snell technicians conduct a variety of tests to determine the helmet’s performance and ability to stay on the head in different environmental conditions: wet, heat, cold. Depending on the application and the standard, each helmet must pass all or some certain tests.
Impact Test Rig
The test involves a series of controlled impacts where a helmet is positioned on a metal head form and then dropped in a guided fall onto various steel test anvils (Flat, Hemisphere, Kurbstone, Roll bar, edge or a horseshoe type) which simulate different impact surfaces. See the picture. The head forms are instrumented with an accelerometer to measure peak G force or acceleration which is measured in “G”ravitational units.
