Thermoplastic vehicle armour launched

Thursday, 17 June, 2010

Kevlar ACV is the name given by DuPont to a new thermoplastic resin composite intended for use as a defence hard armour layer in various vehicles from floor to roof and door to door. The ballistic panels are made by consolidating single sheets that are lightweight, shapable and heat resistant.

DuPont claims that Kevlar ACV offers extreme ballistic efficiency against blast, shrapnel and bullets. Moreover, Kevlar ACV armouring systems are less cumbersome, easy to model and adaptable to vehicle structure, for simplified, quicker and thus less costly installation. The new material, which may be seen on Stand K321 in Hall 6, boasts a high ballistic performance and can withstand extreme temperatures, while remaining relatively lightweight without being too cumbersome. These qualities are perceived to be extremely important to ensure protection whatever the circumstances, while maintaining payload performance and vehicle mobility.

The company has also announced that DuPont Brazil has partnered AXIA, a company active in the high-performance armouring business, to develop a novel armouring system never before used anywhere in the world. For the first time, a Kevlar panel capable of absorbing the impact of Level 3 threats will be marketed. The product was developed especially for military use and will be installed on frigates used to patrol the Brazilian coast to protect the crude oil exploration and production activities in the pre-salt layer.

This product is seen to open up important options for developing new applications in the armouring segment.