From welded steel to an as-cast solution

Between cumbersome welded-steel prototypes and several discouraging production runs, John Pizzuti experienced first-hand the expense of using other methods and suppliers to bring his game-changing football face masks to market.

He then turned to Signicast's engineering expertise to manufacture his innovative designs more cost-effectively – while protecting the players who wear them.

Enhancing safety and style

Introducing new uniforms, logos and design elements is a popular strategy for US football teams to strengthen their identities. Whether bold or subtle, these occasional redesigns can support fan merchandising, attract attention for recruitment, or raise awareness for sponsors and causes.

But they cannot compromise player safety.

Partly for this reason, the face mask, seemingly a front-and-centre opportunity for team expression, has been excluded from branding changes in professional and college leagues.

After all, the main role of a face mask is protection, so league rules and certification standards have discouraged modifications to its most basic design.

John Pizzuti wanted to give face masks a new look to match the evolution of football uniforms, while maintaining a focus on safety. And so, Zuti Facemasks was born.

Unmatched design with investment casting

"I built my first prototypes the same way they had been built for decades," says Pizzuti. "By welding together quarter-inch, cold-rolled steel."

When he was finished, he was not happy with the way they looked – and it had taken a month to build them. "There was no way I could make a profit," he says.

Pizzuti sought advice from his mentor, a long-time automotive industry professional who also happens to be his mother. She suggested that he switch to investment casting.

"A light bulb went on in my head," he says. "Last I checked, you have unfettered." This was ideal, as the innovative design of Zuti Facemasks allows teams to seamlessly integrate stylised elements into the grille, creating a potential platform for branding.

"With investment casting come geometric advantages that we could build into these face masks," Pizzuti says, "and that could help with energy distribution and, ultimately, safety."

Expertise-driven structure

Initially, he found an investment casting supplier but encountered obstacles, as they faced non-fill and scrap issues, resulting in low percentages of viable parts.

That was when he was contacted by Lann Ellis of Signicast, who was intrigued by a Modern Casting article about Zuti Facemasks. "This project could be a disruptive innovation for leagues," says Ellis. "I figured that, with our engineering resources, Signicast could drive Zuti into ."

The timing was right for Pizzuti. "Every time Lann called, he gave me a new value-added strategy that we could implement, whether it was a way to reduce costs or achieve economies of scale." So, Zuti Facemasks made the switch to Signicast.

Behind the scenes, Signicast's diverse engineering team – a project engineer, a metallurgist and a process engineer – could implement improvements during manufacturing. These enhancements included material modifications, fine-tuned temperatures or hold times, and other variables.

This expertise-driven structure was agile enough to allow Pizzuti to make changes quickly, says Ellis. It also meant they could deliver a higher-quality face mask.

Innovation achieves superior safety standards

Following the debut of the initial prototype from Signicast, Zuti Facemasks knew it had a winner.

"I could tell with the naked eye that the quality was much improved," says Pizzuti. "But then I took it a step further and had it X-rayed."

He notes that although the surface finish of an investment cast part can be beautiful, internal inclusions may still be present – a similar issue observed in the prototypes from his previous supplier.

"When we switched to Signicast, all of that went away. The voids and/or non-fill in the material, the grain structure – it was simply that much better. There was less shrinkage. It was an overall better-quality part," Pizzuti says.

Since Zuti Facemasks uses an innovative design and a manufacturing process atypical for the industry, the biggest test came from NOCSAE, the standards body for certifying athletic equipment to reduce injuries. As Pizzuti predicted, given the freedom to incorporate impact-dissipating geometries, his face masks passed.

This is good news for youth, high school and college football teams and leagues that need confidence that their equipment is safe.

And, equally appealing to teams that demand a more distinctive appearance on the field, Pizzuti says, "it simply looks much better."