Apr 13, 2012, post by Artur Nowak
DSM Dyneema today announced that its Dyneema® HB80 unidirectional (UD) composite – one of the highest ballistic performance UD materials on the market today – played a critical role in Ceradyne Inc.’s successful development of the new Enhanced Combat Helmet (ECH) for the United States Marine Corps and Army. Ceradyne chose Dyneema® HB80 to provide the highest level of ballistic protection for the ECH. Compared to the existing Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH) which is made with aramid fibers, the new ECH with Dyneema® HB80 provides protection and exceeds the ECH program requirement for better fragmentation performance than ACH, all without increasing helmet weight. HB80 is also the only material that passes the stringent ECH testing.
All ECH helmets will be manufactured by Ceradyne at its site in Irvine, Calif. Dyneema® HB80 composite is produced in the United States at DSM Dyneema’s Greenville, N.C., facility.
“The ECH program represents a major advance in helmet technology that can deliver enhanced superior protection for our troops,” said Dr. James Zheng, chief scientist soldier protective and individual equipment, PEO Soldier, United States Army. “Our close collaboration with leading industry partners such as Ceradyne and DSM Dyneema enabled us to utilize their valuable technological expertise and support, resulting in the new ECH helmet.”
“The ECH program exemplifies the importance of DSM Dyneema’s continuing leadership in materials science and our commitment to innovation to meet the ever-higher requirements for personal protection,” said Shitij Chabba, vice president of Marketing and Sales for DSM Dyneema. “Clearly a step-change in materials technology, Dyneema® HB80 has achieved a major breakthrough by providing exceptional performance without increasing the helmet’s weight. We are extremely proud of our contributions to the success of our customer, Ceradyne, in helping the U.S. Marine Corps and Army reach this critically important milestone.”
Dyneema® HB80 has undergone extensive ballistic and secondary properties testing as part of the ECH development initiative and provides excellent ballistic and structural properties. HB80 also presents armor manufacturers with opportunities to reduce the weight of ballistic inserts and shields that protect against high-speed fragments and rifle rounds. As one of the highest performing UD materials, it also provides excellent multi-hit performance and can easily be used in combination with ceramics and steel for protection against higher threats such as explosively formed penetrators (EFPs) and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). In addition to personal protection applications, Dyneema® HB80 is currently being used for high-end vehicle armor applications where light weight and ultra-high armor performance are essential; it is the premier material technology solution for the highest possible protection at the lightest weight in armor applications.
“We are very pleased to have received the initial ECH award and look forward to the important role we will play in the manufacture of the new high-performance ECH,” said David Reed, Ceradyne’s vice president and president, North America Operations. “Capitalizing on the outstanding properties of the HB80 UD composite, Ceradyne has made a quantum leap forward in giving our Marines and soldiers leading-edge head protection on the battlefield.”
DSM Dyneema continues to make significant investments in the development of exceptionally strong, lightweight materials for a new generation of ballistic threats working closely with customers and end-user partners.
Jul 28, 2011, post by Artur Nowak
Revision officially marks its expansion into the Soldier Systems helmet business with a significant 3-year contract to develop the U.S. Army’s next-generation head protection system. The $1,990,340 award is for Revision to continue the design, development and demonstration of a modular and scalable headgear system for mounted and dismounted soldiers, and to mature it to a Technology Readiness Level 6. The new system is intended to provide impact protection improvements over current generation helmets and the integration of electronics and power. It will also allow soldiers to tailor their protection level and operating equipment to the specific mission at hand.
“The current situation is that head-borne protection and functional capabilities have not been designed as an integrated platform using Soldier-centric design principles. This has prevented the optimization of weight, balance and sub-component integration” noted Don Lee, Project Engineer, Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center. He went on to say, “This development contract supporting the Helmet Electronics and Display System – Upgradeable Army Technology Objective is expected to develop integrated headgear system technologies to include upgraded ballistic and impact protection, integrated CBRN mask, full face protection, and integrated heads-up display and sensor inputs for actionable information to Soldiers and Marines. We anticipate the final outcome will be tools and technologies that will allow the U.S. Army and USMC to field well-balanced, optimized headgear systems that will provide improved head protection, allow for increased situational awareness, and increased mission performance allowing our Soldiers and Marines to be the decisive edge on the battlefield.”
This new helmet design will integrate a trauma liner, communication system, heads-up display, CBRN mask and enhanced night vision goggles. The fully integrated and fully modular system will also feature a visor and mandible guard option designed to provide better blunt force, blast and ballistic protection than a helmet shell alone.
“As the nature of combat has changed, the type of trauma seen on the battlefield has also changed with increasing numbers of soldiers suffering from head and traumatic brain injuries, whether caused by blunt force, blast or ballistic impacts. Based on extensive head protection systems research and development, Revision believes it has the technological, scientific and impact testing knowledge to design a new helmet and head protection system that can help to reduce brain injuries while also providing lighter weight and superior ballistic head protection. The battle against soldier head injuries is on. Our aim is to develop the very best protection that new design, materials and processes can bring to those who are serving the country” said Jonathan Blanshay, CEO of Revision Military. He continued, “Through the experience gained and global market-leading position achieved in a relatively short period of time with the eyewear business, Revision is confident that expansion into cutting-edge, integrated head protection systems for the military is a natural growth step. We are honored to have been selected for this crucial Natick developmental project.”
Revision’s contract announcement comes at a pivotal time in the company’s history. In late 2010, the company announced an official corporate name change—from Revision Eyewear Ltd. to Revision Military Ltd.—to encompass its new head protection business. In June 2011, the company began operations at its new, Composite Center of Excellence and later this fall, the company expects to launch Batlskin™, its first generation, fully integrated, modular soldier protection system.
ABOUT REVISION
Revision develops and delivers purpose-built protective soldier equipment for military use worldwide. The company, which began with eyewear, has expanded to face and head protection and continues to develop their capabilities for integrated, performance-enhancing soldier systems. To that end, Revision brings the most advanced expertise, state-of-the-art facilities and finest technical minds. Clients include the U.S. Department of Defense, the Canadian Department of National Defence, the Netherlands Defence Materiel Organization, the Swiss Federal Department of Defence and the UK Ministry of Defence. Privately owned and ISO 9001:2008 certified, Revision’s operational headquarters is located in Essex Junction, Vermont, USA, with additional offices in the Netherlands and Canada. For more information, visit www.revisionmilitary.com, write info@revisionmilitary.com, or call +1 252-288-5805.
