New Dyneema® SB61 provides more Stopping Power for Soft Body Armor Applications
Oct 17, 2006
BOSTON, Mass. -- DSM, a Netherlands-based company active worldwide in performance materials, announced it is introducing its newest and strongest ballistic material for soft body armor. The new Dyneema® SB61 offers ultra-high energy absorption to provide significantly increased stopping power, as well as the same high level of trauma reduction and aging behavior as other Dyneema® soft ballistic products. The announcement was made at the 2006 International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference in Boston.
Dyneema® SB61 has been chosen by American Body Armor, a leading manufacturer of branded products for the law enforcement market, for its select use in the new top-of-the-line FUZION™ protective vest models. Dyneema® SB61 fills a market need for improved ballistic raw materials that allow vest manufacturers to achieve higher levels of ballistic performance yet lowering the weight of body armor.
"We are excited to be launching a premium ABATM model featuring the latest in Dyneema® ballistic fiber technology", said Tim Smith, director, Flexible Armor Center, Armor Holdings, Inc.. "Working closely with a science and technology based company like DSM benefits the law enforcement community by providing better engineered solutions for concealable body armor."
Adri van der Waals, marketing manager with DSM, said: "This cooperation with American Body Armor illustrates that DSM enables its customers to develop and supply a better protective vest to law enforcement professionals."
Dyneema® is an ultra-strong polyethylene fiber. Dyneema® Unidirectional (UD) composites are made of several layers of Dyneema® fibers, with the direction of fibers in each layer placed perpendicular to those in the adjacent layers. This unidirectional configuration allows the energy transferred from the impact of a bullet or other threat to be distributed along the fibers much faster and more efficiently than in conventional, woven fabrics. These UD composites enable protective gear such as bullet-resistant vests to provide excellent protection and reduce the effect of blunt trauma. Dyneema® SB61 also offers light weight and flexibility for maximum comfort and agility.
About Armor Holdings, Inc.
Armor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AH) is a diversified manufacturer of branded products for the military, law enforcement, and personnel safety markets.
About DSM Dyneema
DSM Dyneema is the inventor and manufacturer of Dyneema®, the world's strongest fiber™. Dyneema® is a superstrong polyethylene fiber that offers maximum strength combined with minimum weight. It is up to 15 times stronger than quality steel and up to 40% stronger than aramid fibers, both on weight for weight basis. Dyneema® floats on water and is extremely durable and resistant to moisture, UV light and chemicals. The applications are therefore more or less unlimited. Dyneema® is an important component in ropes, cables and nets in the fishing, shipping and offshore industries. Dyneema® is also used in safety gloves for the metalworking industry and in fine yarns for applications in sporting goods and the medical sector. In addition, Dyneema® is also used in bullet resistant armor and clothing for police and military personnel.
Dyneema® is produced in Heerlen (The Netherlands) and in Greenville, North Carolina (U.S.A.). DSM Dyneema is also a partner in a high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) manufacturing joint venture in Japan.
About DSM
DSM is active worldwide in nutritional and pharma ingredients, performance materials and industrial chemicals. The company creates innovative products and services that help improve the quality of life. DSM's products are used in a wide range of end markets and applications such as human and animal nutrition and health, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, automotive and transport, coatings, housing and electrics & electronics (E&E). DSM's strategy, named Vision 2010 - Building on Strengths, focuses on accelerating profitable and innovative growth of the company's specialties portfolio. Market-driven growth, innovation and increased presence in emerging economies are key drivers of this strategy. The group has annual sales of over EUR 8 billion and employs some 22,000 people worldwide. DSM ranks among the global leaders in many of its fields. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.
