CeramTec-ETEC - Lightweight Ceramic Vehicle and Body Armour

CeramTec-ETEC, established in 1982 and based in Lohmar, Germany, is part of the CeramTec Group. The company specialises in the design, manufacture and supply of high-performance armour ceramics, based on alumina, silicon carbide and boron carbide for body and vehicle armour upgrades.

Integrated into armour composite systems, ceramics can reduce the total system weight by up to 50% and increase the protection level, especially against armour piercing (and kinetic) ammunition compared to conventional steel armouring solutions. This will influence, for instance, the comfort for a soldier, or the manoeuverability and allowable payload for a vehicle, in a very positive way.

High performance armour ceramics

Our ceramic materials Alotec-SB (alumina content of 96% to 99.5%), Sicadur (silicon carbide), Bocadur (boron carbide) and our latest development Alocor 100 (based on 99.9% alumina) meet all requirements nowadays made towards modern composite armouring systems. Their advantages are a low area weight, high ballistic strength, extremely tight tolerances and universal applicability for aramid, polyethylene and fibreglass reinforced polymer backings.

Vehicle armour

CeramTec-ETEC has designed and manufactured ceramic panel layouts for add-on armour, as well as integrated interior protection systems, for more than 20 years. Its ceramic technology is qualified by numerous national and international armour projects such as German Fox, ASV (M1117), M113, VAB, Dingo, Fennek, LAV Fleet, cabin protection for all kinds of trucks, shelter protection, vessels, VIP and police cars and many others.

Based on our design and manufacturing expertise developed over many years, we can offer customised ceramic panel layouts based on square, hexagonal and engineered tiles in very complex geometries to accommodate customers' specific requirements. Ceramic components can be supplied as separate tiles or pre-assembled panels, which can be directly put into the production process for the composite assembly.

Body armour

In the field of body armour, CeramTec-ETEC supplies ceramic monolithic plates in single, double or multi-curved shapes in various materials. Special designs for female, shoulder, side and groin plates, as well as custom-made plates are available to make the final protection plate more comfortable for the soldier.

Ceramic single curved multi tiles plates with various radii of curvature can be supplied as an alternative to monolithic plates to achieve higher multi-hit resistance.

Research and development

CeramTec-ETEC has an excellent team of graduated scientists and experienced technicians, keeping the company at the forefront of ceramic technology. Together with universities, research institutions such as Fraunhofer (e.g. Ernst Mach Institute) and other R&D facilities, the company is working on the development of new materials, manufacturing processes, armour products and testing. This enables us to come up with adequate solutions for future vehicle and body armour requirements.

Quality assurance

A team of highly skilled people, a production plant equipped with the latest machinery, including full CAD engineering and a highly sophisticated quality assurance system certified to ISO 9001.2008, ensures the production and supply of products with a consistently high quality. This enables CeramTec-ETEC to comply with the high standards and tight tolerances required by our customers. An intense cooperation with renowned system integrators guarantees a constant quality improvement.