Thermal PPE Innovation Proposal · HexArmor R&D

From protecting against heat to actively managing it.

High-heat PPE protects workers from external hazards, but the thermal load experienced inside the system can still affect comfort, endurance and productivity. Our proposal is to add targeted cooling technologies around HexArmor’s protective platform — beginning with welding hand / forearm cooling and active body cooling.

View Priority Applications Explore Market Opportunities
Prepared for: HexArmor R&D Focus: High-heat industrial PPE
Priority application areas 2 CORE CONCEPTS
Application 01 · Welding

Hand / Forearm Cooling

Targeted cooling concepts designed to reduce heat build-up around welding PPE while preserving dexterity, protection and usability.

Targeted thermal managementR&D CONCEPT
Application 02 · Industrial Body Cooling

Water-Circulation Cooling Vest

A refreshable active-cooling platform that provides strong contact cooling across the torso for demanding high-heat work environments.

Active cooling platformINDUSTRIAL USE

The next thermal challenge
is inside the PPE system.

Protective performance remains the first priority. The opportunity is to improve thermal comfort without compromising the protection workers already depend on.

01

Heat accumulation

Protective layers can trap heat and reduce the body’s ability to dissipate it during long-duration work.

02

Hand comfort & dexterity

In welding and hot-process work, thermal discomfort around the hand and forearm can directly affect usability and endurance.

03

Cooling without compromise

The cooling system must work around the PPE architecture rather than weakening flame, heat, mechanical or dexterity performance.

04

Industrial practicality

Any solution must be easy to wear, refresh, maintain and integrate into real shift patterns.

Two priority applications.

Both concepts address high-heat worker comfort, but each requires a different cooling architecture and validation approach.

01 · WELDING USER

Cooling the worker — without weakening the glove.

For welding applications, the strongest approach is to place cooling around the protected hand and forearm rather than forcing a cooling system into the primary protective glove structure. This creates more room to preserve dexterity, heat protection and existing glove performance.

Concept ACooling cuff / gauntlet interface
Concept BForearm cooling sleeve under compatible PPE
Concept CBack-of-hand modular cooling zone
Target usersWelders · torch cutting · foundry
Primary objectiveReduce local heat build-up
Design prioritiesDexterity · FR · protection · comfort
Recommended first stepConcept prototype + thermal bench test
Engineering note: final architecture should be evaluated against all applicable heat, flame, electrical/arc and PPE requirements before commercial use.
02 · ACTIVE BODY COOLING

Water circulation as the industrial workhorse.

Chilled water circulates through a tubing network close to the torso, creating consistent contact cooling across a larger body area. The cooling source can be refreshed during breaks while the same garment system stays in service.

Cooling sourceIce / chilled-water reservoir
SystemLow-power pump + tubing network
RefreshReplace ice / chilled water
Reservoir optionsApprox. 450–900 ml
Typical cooling windowApprox. 1.5–3 h per refresh*
Electrical demandLow-power circulation pump
Best use casesHigh-heat industrial work cycles
*Reference performance: final duration depends on garment coverage, reservoir size, ambient conditions, construction and use pattern.

Where HexArmor can create additional value.

Active thermal management can extend a protective product strategy into worker comfort, endurance and next-generation high-heat PPE.

Opportunity 01

Build a “Protect + Cool” welding platform

Combine established high-heat protection with a separate thermal-comfort layer designed around welding workflows.

Opportunity 02

Expand beyond a single cooling product

Hand, forearm and torso cooling can become a connected thermal-management platform rather than isolated SKUs.

Opportunity 03

Serve more high-heat verticals

Concepts developed for welding can extend toward foundry, metal fabrication, utilities and hot-process work.

Opportunity 04

Create premium differentiation

Active thermal technology can support a more innovation-led product tier with clearer differentiation from conventional passive PPE.

Opportunity 05

Design around real worker workflows

Cooling modules can be optimized around shift length, break frequency, recharge method, PPE layering and maintenance requirements.

Opportunity 06

Create a broader thermal roadmap

Water circulation can anchor the active range, while HybridCool, PCM and Peltier fill lighter, passive and premium use cases.

A broader technology platform
behind the two priority applications.

Different work environments require different cooling architectures. A multi-technology platform allows each product to be designed around the job rather than around one fixed technology.

Thermal technology ladder

PASSIVE
HybridCool evaporative platformLIGHTWEIGHT
CONTROLLED
PCM coolingSTABLE TEMP
ACTIVE
Water circulationCORE
PREMIUM
Peltier active coolingINSTANT
SYSTEM
Hybrid / multi-zone conceptsR&D

Potential HexArmor applications

The platform can be deployed selectively across the body depending on heat exposure, PPE architecture and user priorities.

Welding glove / cuffTargeted hand heat relief
Forearm sleeveCooling near high-heat PPE zones
Cooling vestWhole-torso heat-stress relief
Base layerLow-profile under-PPE cooling
Neck / shoulderHigh-perceived cooling zones
Multi-zone systemHand + torso thermal platform

Suggested development path.

A focused validation process can quickly identify the architecture with the best combination of cooling performance, safety, usability and commercial potential.

STEP 01

Select application

Choose welding hand / forearm cooling or water-circulation body cooling as the first development target.

STEP 02

Define constraints

Set cooling target, weight, runtime, PPE interface, dexterity requirements, safety constraints and target cost.

STEP 03

Prototype + bench test

Build the selected concept and measure cooling effect, comfort, integration and operating workflow.

STEP 04

User validation

Test with representative high-heat users and refine the concept into a product-ready HexArmor solution.

Which application should we explore first?

We can begin with the welding hand / forearm cooling concept or the water-circulation cooling vest, then develop one focused prototype around HexArmor’s target user, performance requirements and PPE architecture.

Explore a concept →