Capability through collaboration

April 7, 2009

Project 7.1.3 – Low profile body armour Huijun Li

University of Wollongong

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Company overview

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Company overview

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Business model and governance

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Personnel survivability

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DMTC - Program 7

DMTCF Program 7

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Program Goals

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Project overviews

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DMTC 7.1.3

Low Profile Body Armour

DMTC LTD. Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia

University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

Australian Defence Apparel Pty Ltd. Coburg, Victoria, Australia

BlueScope Steel Ltd. New South Wales, Australia

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DMTC 7.1.3

Project Outcome

Martensitic steels are commonly used for armour applications

owing to their high hardness and good ballistic resistance.

This project will carry out an evaluation of a series of high

hardness steels for low profile body armour application and

provide prototype designs for consideration by Australian

Defence Force personnel.

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DMTC 7.1.3

The first stage will be a comprehensive assessment of current

products, package design and generic threats. This will be

achieved by analysing perceived generic threats, determine the

required material properties and identify weaknesses in current

knowledge, and searching international databases for

information on ferritic armour materials and applications.

A wide range of high hardness steels will be assessed, and/or

procured, including superbainitic steel, ARMOX grade, MARS

grade, Bis-plates, high carbon alloy steels (eg. razor blade

steels)as well as martensitic stainless steels. It is anticipated

that a research fellow will be allocated to conduct research and

package development in conjunction with the partners.

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Ceramic and steel armour

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Low profile armour

Low profile body armour systems are intended to complement

existing body armour designs with the benefit of being less bulky

and allow greater movability while being worn.

Research demonstrated the potential for ultra high hardness

steels (UHHS) to fill the role of trauma plate defence in the low

profile body armour system. optimisation is continuing.

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Low profile armour

Two prototype designs of the low profile body armour system

have been manufactured based on the type of UHHS being used.

Conventional armour grade high carbon steels have been formed

using a hot quench press technique to produce three

dimensional curved plates.

High carbon stainless steel plates have been formed using a

bend forming technique to produce plates with curvature in one

dimension.

The high carbon stainless steel plates were subsequently

processed by ADA defence technologies to produce a completed

prototype design. UHHS ballistic property optimisation is

continuing.

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Low profile armour

Standard low profile body armour plate, Pacific 8ft Hydraulic

Panbrake bend forming system and formed plate cross-sections

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HIA

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HTA

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Armox440T Armox500T

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Mars220

SS

SS

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Future work

• Ballistic testing

• Microstructural analysis

• Fracture analysis,

• Bend testing (at different temperatures)

• Surface profiling,

• Investigation on armour lining materials

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Future work – proposal

Although protection must always be the priority, comfort can no

longer be considered as simply a luxury. Therefore, focus in armour

design must increase emphasis on reducing the physical strain on a

soldier that can lead to long-term injury.

Armour must fit properly in order to work efficiently. Ill-fitting body

armour that results in excessive armour weight burden and mobility

restrictions has very real short term consequences for survivability,

and long term implications for a soldier’s productivity and quality of

life.

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Future work – proposal

The proposed project will focus on developing an Advanced

Armour Lining for this armour system, and integrating the Low

Profile Steel Plate with the improved lining.

The Advanced Armour Lining will focus on improving user

comfort by improving breathability and wearability. It will offer

excellent impact absorption and prevent fragment penetration,

in order to enhance ballistic protection.

The Advanced Lining System will be manufactured using 3D

printing technology, and based on scanning each individual’s

body to provide a custom-fitted armour system for each

individual soldier.

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Future work – proposal

Design and develop a fitted smart-

textiles compression layer to enhance comfort, breathability and overall

muscle recovery.

For female personnel, this layer will also include built breast support.

Use a 3D body scanner to inform 3D printer designs: Namely, design and develop

computational program capabilities to convert a 3D body scan into a 3D printed

Advanced Armour Lining.

Design and develop a 3D printed Advanced Armour Lining and integrate

with a Low Profile Steel Plate, to create a light-weight, functionally

flexible, Advanced Personnel Armour System, which offers the ultimate in next-generation ballistic protection.

End Product: A layered system comprising of smart-textiles for comfort and support, and a light-weight, functionally flexible, 3D printed Advanced Armour Lining with a Low Profile

Steel Plate, custom designed to each soldier’s individual body scan specifications.

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Future work – proposal

BIOMECHANICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE ADVANCED PERSONNEL ARMOUR SYSTEM Once developed, the “bio-impact” of the Advanced Personnel Armour System will be tested using an integrative biomechanical analysis to ascertain: (i) maneuverability in the Advanced Personnel Armour System while performing

functional tasks; and (ii) (ii) the physiological and biomechanical responses of a soldier while wearing

the Advanced Personnel Armour System to ballistic impact (with different projectiles and speeds). This will be done by integrating high speed camera footage; 3D motion analysis; physiological responses (heart rate, blood pressure and thermoregulation); pressure measurements between the soldier and armour system interface; and mathematical modelling.

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Future work – proposal

Female-specific Body Armour: The role of women in the military is substantially increasing. In both Australia and the USA the ban for women serving in frontline combat roles was lifted on1st January 2013; opening for the first time in history, options for women in the artillery, armoured, infantry and engineering units of the Army.

By utilising the proposed body scan techniques for an Advanced Armour Lining, this project will ensure women moving into combat roles have the ultimate in body protection, without compromising fit due to their significantly different anthropometric structure relative to their male counterparts.

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Future work – proposal

Wearable electronics:

Recent work at the ARC Centre for Excellence for

Electromaterials Science (UOW) has developed a strong and

flexible yarn that can be used to power wearable electronics.

There may be a capacity to integrate this innovative

technology into the Advanced Armour Lining to provide

physiological (e.g. heart rate) and motion data (e.g. speed)

regarding the wearer.

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Other Discussion/Questions