The United States Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) recently announced its new 3D printed solution to help improve safety during hazardous glove testing. The engineers at the DLA Analytical Product Test Center in Philadelphia have developed an artificial hand that can flex and retract its fingers. This will allow researchers to test different types of protective gloves against jet fuel exposure without risking human safety.
Previously, in order to test gloves, a person would place their gloved hand inside a fuel-filled container. If the glove failed, then the tester became exposed to jet fuel, which could cause irritation, cracking, and rashes on the skin. Edward Dalton, a general engineer at the testing center, recognized this danger and proposed an alternative method. He proposed to design a 3D printed surrogate hand that would be capable of movement, allowing the team to replicate the required tests without the use of human subjects.
The design and overall project took around several months to complete; however, it is already yielding positive results for the lab. The team commented that since the introduction of the new hand, there has been a clear reduction in risk and improved efficiency. The artificial hand can be printed in different sizes and even customized to match specific glove designs. This eliminates the need to find human testers who have specific hand proportions. According to Dalton, this new flexibility has opened up more opportunities to adapt 3D printing for future testing processes.
Mike McClain, who is a supervisory chemist at the lab, also noted the limitation of older safety precautions. Previously, researchers would wear extra plastic coverings to help mitigate exposure to the fuel. However, leaks were still prevalent and often left a distinct trace of fuel and odor on the test subject. The new 3D printed hand not only removes this risk, but also ensures more stable and constant testing conditions.
For the research team at DLA, this breakthrough highlights how additive manufacturing can enhance both safety and practicality. This new artificial hand combines durability with the ability the replicate complex motion, serving as a functional tool that showcases the growing role of 3D printing in defense research. Researcher Dalton noted that watching the design perform exactly as intended was a rewarding experience for the team after months of development.
The artificial hands have already been trialed in experiments, with more testing planned in the future. For the DLA, the project represents another shift towards additive manufacturing, not just for prototyping but also as a way to safeguard personnel while maintaining strict and rigorous testing standards.
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*All Photo Credit: United States Department of Defense / DLA