HANs manufacturing collaboration: making racing safety more accessible.

Early HANs devices used hand-laid carbon-fiber construction. At that stage, making a device involved substantial time and skilled labor. Cost mattered to racers, especially those competing at the amateur level.

The opportunity was to explore whether a different way of making the product could speed up production and lower costs. That called for looking beyond the device itself and considering what another manufacturer already knew how to do.

I knew HiPer Technology in Lawrence, Kansas, had experience making injection-molded carbon-fiber racing wheels for ATVs. I saw a possible connection between that material and manufacturing knowledge and the next stage of the HANs device.

I connected Dr. Hubbard with HiPer Technology so they could explore the opportunity together. My contribution was identifying that potential fit and bringing the people together. The device engineering, manufacturing development, and safety validation belonged to the teams doing that work.

The resulting development helped move the device toward a faster molding process and a more affordable offering. That made manufacturing a meaningful part of the accessibility story.

This project shaped how I think about product development. A useful answer may already exist in a different field. Recognizing it, asking the right questions, and connecting the right expertise can help a product take its next step.