When ceramic plates emerged as a lightweight alternative to personal body armor and protective vehicle cladding during the 1970’s, consumers began to question the efficiency of steel armor plating. At the same time, the military, as well as other sectors within the security world, also began to utilize steel alternatives for the production of numerous conventional protective applications.
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Of these materials emerged Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRP), which exhibited a significant potential for application in shields for individuals against a wide variety of threats, such as ballistics and extreme weather conditions. Strongwell has developed HS Armor, a distinct line of reinforced FRPs that are specifically designed for use in security applications.
FRP Armor Panels
HS Armor describes a range of ballistics-resistant FRP panels that are originally manufactured from glass reinforcements in a proprietary resin matrix. From here, the panels are then cured to form a protective laminate that functions to improve the impact-resistant properties of the product. As well as provide mechanical capacity for ballistics-resistance and absorb impact force by delaminating and re-distributing the force through the substrate of the FRP panel.
Strongwell’s FRP HS Armor panels have been rigorously tested to UL 752 and NIJ specifications, and as a result have been successfully implemented in numerous types of protective architecture, some of which include:-
- Court rooms
- Convenience stores
- Classrooms
- Panic rooms
- Office buildings
All HS Armor panels are available in a wide range of thicknesses, as well as varying resistances against different ammunition types. Impact tests of all of Strongwell’s FRP products investigated the ability of these panels to withstand direct impacts from a .44 Magnum pistol loaded with lead-based projectiles and FMJs.
Certain specifications have also been added into the design of the HS Armor panels to provide additional protection against high velocity rifle fire with outstanding weight to pressure ratios.
Benefits of HS Armor Panels
Steel plating can be a both costly and heavyweight process that is often unsuitable for areas that require inexpensive or lighter weight protection. For example, classrooms will often require significant budget considerations, therefore increased security concerns can become neglected during the process.
As recent news stories have emerged regarding individuals who have targeted schools with advanced weaponry, there has been a dramatic need to increase the ability to protect children from potential threats; however, fitting all classrooms with armored steel panels is neither a realistic nor cost effective solution to this growing concern.
FRP provides an ideal alternative to conventional protective materials, as its convenient installation also radically reduces the cost of this product’s integration. FRP HS Armor panels can be easily and discretely fabricated into existing architecture through the use of simple tools and equipment.
Additionally, HS Armor panels avoid any potential load-bearing considerations or specialized profiling equipment; and can also be machined with the use of carpenter’s tools and can also be fitted with high-strength adhesive or bolts and screws.
FRP Security Solutions from Strongwell
Strongwell is a leading developer and supplier of FRP products for various industries around the world. With a history of supplying consumers with extensive quantities of materials for numerous security projects, Strongwell has successfully ensured the protection of individuals in the military, legal, and commercial sectors against emerging ballistic threats.
Strongwell’s HS Armor panels have been used to protect thousands of active servicemen during tours of duty in Iraq, as well as to provide structures capable of withstanding adverse weather conditions, blast fragments or direct ballistic impacts.
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Strongwell Corporation.
For more information on this source, please visit Strongwell Corporation.