Originally developed in the 1980’s, the HANS device has been one of the most innovative components in racing safety, as it greatly limits the forward head and neck movement of the driver upon impact. HANS devices have been mandated in NASCAR’s top 3 series since 2001 and by Formula 1 since 2003. Many other major auto racing series followed suit and mandated the HANS device in their races after seeing the impressive life-saving results of this safety equipment.
For over 10 years, Rock West Composites has proudly manufactured carbon fiber HANS devices for Simpson Race Products. Rock West began manufacturing the HANS Pro Ultra device in our Salt Lake City facility. The product design required stringent specifications, including the ability to withstand 10G front impact without failure. The retail-quality gloss finish had to withstand a corrosive environment. As the demand for a lighter weight product materialized, we added the HANS Pro Ultra Lite to our manufacturing roster for Simpson. Rock West delivers lightweight yet strong products that continue to meet customer expectations.
In recent years, our customer needed to reduce production costs, as well as increase efficiency and throughput. We worked to adapt a solution specific to their needs with their input. Rock West relocated HANS production to our plant in Mexico, a facility focused on containing costs for production jobs with high touch labor. With an easy to access plant, Simpson was able to monitor the transition. Our team facilitated training and ensured all quality standards are being met. Our Mexico facility is AS9100D certified with a motivated and quality driven team.
HANS Work in Process
This new production modality has been in place for two years and been an ongoing success. With annual orders for over 1,000 units and with a recent order for more tooling expected to last 5+ years, RWC will continue to make these life saving devices for the foreseeable future.
Our Sporting division is executing development and production work for many customers and hope that we can bring our skills to your company to improve product quality and production efficiency. Contact us!
