Pucks to the neck, a bruised collarbone and the pain that comes from being a hockey goaltender urged mechanical engineering sophomore Alex Von Mach to develop an improved neck guard.
Hockey is a game of chance, Von Mach said, especially because in the game, the neck is such an exposed region.
“The stuff out there wasn’t cutting it, so I figured I’d make my own,” he said. “So, basically, I did this for myself, but then I saw there was a problem.”
Last winter Von Mach said he did some research and discovered D3O foam, which feels soft to the touch, but hardens upon extreme impact. He said he ordered samples of the foam and worked to create a neck guard prototype.
His company, Mach Hockey, is in the process of finalizing the product and patenting the design.
Assistance
Earlier this month, Mach Hockey placed third in the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition, an international contest designed to highlight Michigan as a place for innovation and business opportunities for students. The company received $3,000 to continue their product and business development.
Von Mach and his business partner, economics senior Everet Bommarito, traveled to Detroit to compete against other student entrepreneurs.
Von Mach pitched the idea for a cut-resistant, state-of-the-art neck and collarbone protector in front of large audience, explaining how it can prevent fatal neck lacerations and broken collarbones.
“It was a long day, but it was worth it,” Von Mach said.
Von Mach said he thinks there is truly a need for this improvement in the equipment.
“Having cut-resistant material around players’ necks would provide such a sense of security,” Von Mach said.
Moving forward
As a college student with limited funds, he said winning the innovation competition was an incredible accomplishment and will help the company take its next steps.
“We will be able to use this to get a sewing machine, improve our prototype and create demos for people to see if they like it or not,” Von Mach said.
Von Mach said he hopes his company can work on making safety changes to other sports apparel in the future.
“But right now we’re trying to really focus on this and see if we can really get this going,” Von Mach said. “To see people using our product and getting more protection would be fulfilling.”
