ETEC - Ceramic Components for Personal and Vehicular Ballistic-Protective Armour

In the field of body armour, ETEC has developed ceramic components for compound systems consisting of ceramics and polymers. These high-quality protection systems consist of a ceramic tile glued by a high-performance adhesive to a polyaramide or GFK backing. The area weight is less than half of armour steel yet provides an identical protection effect.

PERSONAL AND ASSET BALLISTIC-PROTECTION

ETEC ceramics are applied in many personal and asset ballistic-protection products. ALOTEC® (alumina) and SICADUR® (silicon carbide) materials are our most popular ceramics: UN and NATO peacekeeping forces' military vehicles are protected from direct fire, artillery, mortar splinters and mines by means of our add-on ceramic-based armour systems..

VEHICULAR MODULAR-ARMOUR PLATES

The vehicles of the German IFOR troops in Bosnia are amongst those also equipped with a modular protection concept system, protecting them by means of add-on armour plates which are screwed onto the car body.

CERAMIC COMPONENTS FOR PERSONAL EQUIPMENT AND IN-VEHICLE BALLISTIC PROTECTION

Ceramic materials are brittle and thus susceptible to impacts, meaning ceramics alone have only a low ballistic-protection effect. In composite systems (for example, combined ceramic / polymer armour) for body armour and vehicle protection, however, ceramics materials have succeeded in replacing steel plates, reducing overall weight by up to 50%.

There is a different mechanism underlying the protective effect of ceramic composite armour. When striking the ceramic surface, the projectile tip is deformed, causing an extension of the cross section. When subsequently penetrating the ceramics, the projectile is micronised. Due to their lower mass, the kinetic energy of the fragments is considerably lower, and therefore completely absorbed within the backing by elastic-plastic deformation.

These composite systems make use of the following properties of high-performance ceramics:

• High hardness
• High tensile-strength
• High modulus of elasticity
• High sonic speed
• Low areal weight

Due to their excellent cost / performance ratio, ALOTEC® SB high-tech alumina ceramic components for armour have been our most successful product thus far.

CERAMIC COMPONENTS OF BALLISTIC-PROTECTION FOR PERSONNEL

As a manufacturer of high-performance ceramics, ETEC cooperates with many system suppliers in order to increase personal ballistic-protection efficiency, save weight and improve the user's comfort. Conventional ballistic-protection vests do not provide complete protection: only ceramic-based inserts are able to comply reliably with the requirements of superior protection levels.

MONOLITHIC CERAMIC PLATES FOR BULLET-PROOF VESTS

Nowadays bullet-proof vests are mostly equipped with monolithic ceramic plates. Due to their double or multiple curvature they adapt themselves to body shape, increasing the wearer's comfort. Owing to advanced and flexible manufacturing technology, it is possible to produce a broad range of plates according to customer specifications.

In addition to monolithic inserts, ETEC can also provide multi-tile versions based on small single ceramic tiles (e.g. 50mm x 50mm). In cases of impact, these inserts have proven to have an increased multi-hit capability because the size of the damaged area produced in the armour system is controlled and minimised.

MILITARY-VEHICLE ARMOUR CERAMICS

Composite armour systems based on high-performance ceramics have proven their efficiency for the protection of light and middle-weight military vehicles, both as add-on armour and integrated interior protection.

They protect against direct gun fire, mortar, artillery splinters and blast mines. Our customers can develop specific protection systems depending on the threat level, such as ALOTEC / polymer composite solutions (which are replacing traditional steel armour systems).

ETEC: ISO 9001-CERTIFIED

Ceramic composite armour systems (which are between 30% and 50% lighter than most other armour materials) comply with the strictest international-standard requirements to provide reliable protection.

Our high-performance ceramics for armour systems have enabled us to set standards of extremely tight tolerances, thus guaranteeing the highest ballistic-protection levels.

Well-trained specialists and technicians work with ETEC, and our production plant is equipped with the latest machines and equipment (including CAD engineering, quality-assurance equipment and high-tech production machinery). In this way, it is possible to ensure the production of high-quality and profitable products, even with extremely tight tolerances.

The highly sophisticated quality-assurance system – certified according to ISO 9001 – guarantees production of a continuously high quality, thus enabling ETEC to meet the high requirements of international safety engineering standards.

Owing to their use, extremely high manufacturing standards are required for ballistic-protective ceramics. Our production process provides:

• Careful selection of raw materials
• Controlled and reproducible preparation of raw materials
• Process control of shaping and sinter technologies
• Certified quality-management system