Helmets, protective vest inserts and shields incorporating Dyneema high-strength fiber will mark the debut of DSM Dyneema at the Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) exhibition in Farnborough, England today through Thursday.
At the exhibition, DSM Dyneema will feature examples from industry leading manufacturers, together with new innovations and concepts for personal protection that will demonstrate the fiber's unique high strength at low weight, according to the company.
Dyneema ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber is an established brand in the protective clothing and headgear market and is already incorporated into various pieces of hard and soft ballistic armor developed by official suppliers to the UK law enforcement market and certified to strict UK requirements
On display will be inserts and complete vests currently used by UK police, custom, and military officers to provide high protection against combined threats such as bullets and knives. Dyneema unidirectional hard ballistic grade HB50 is for example used in inserts that meet the HSODB's RF1 and RF2 protection level. Another grade, HB80, provides the lightest possible head protection for helmets.
Laboratory-certified to HOSDB 2007 RF1 and RF2 standard, inserts based on Dyneema HB grades are able to maintain the highest levels of protection at a significant weight reduction versus current conventional market solutions. Dyneema HB solutions are widely used in UK MoD vehicles for protection against the most severe threats, following extensive testing. Combat proven inserts based on Dyneema, as used in the Osprey body armour by the UK MoD, provide vital protection to British forces in Afghanistan on a daily basis.
Several DSM Dyneema customers will be at the event with protective vests based on Dyneema SB grades, says Dirk Louwers, Marketing Manager Life Protection, DSM Dyneema. "These vests meet the stringent requirements of different HOSDB levels, such as HG1A, HG1, and HG2," he notes.
DSM Dyneema will also provide the first details of a new Dyneema SB (Soft Ballistic) unidirectional material specifically designed to meet international law enforcement specifications, such as the U.S. NIJ (National Institute of Justice) Standard 0101.06. This material will be introduced to the European market later in 2011.
