With its 15 percent glass reinforcement, this Capron impact-modified nylon creates a strong mask, with a smooth resin surface on the front and back, as opposed to the rough surface of conventional fiberglass masks. Players like this smooth surface because it holds paint and decals well, says Rhino president Liddel. This Capron family of HPN nylon resins is one of AlliedSignal s most versatile and performance-proven engineering thermoplastics. It is available in natural, heat-stabilized and pigmented versions. We added ribs in critical parts of the hockey mask to increase its stiffness.
Players like to have a mask that feels stiff even if it s lightweight.
Conventional fiberglass masks need a 55 percent glass reinforcement for consistency in molding. These masks are stiffer and have a rough surface. Because this Capron nylon has only 15 percent glass reinforcement of the resin, we can reduce the overall weight of the masks, without any compromise in strength, and have a better looking, more consistent finished product. Rhino president Liddel notes that this is what customers want, especially since his company s masks are used by players at all age levels, indoors and out. From a marketing standpoint, once customers see how good these masks feel and look and their affordable price, they are impressed.