Fibre Composite Ballistic Protection

Scanfibre manufacture composite fibre-based materials for ballistic protection.  A choice of panels are available for low-weight, effective protection of containers, vehicles and buildings.

Composite Fibre Materials

Composite fibre materials are manufactured by creating a web of 
tough, high strength fibres joined together by heating.  During pressing and heating, the strong fibres together with a matrix of glue are converted into a low-weight panel.  The resulting material offers effective protection against fragments and projectiles due to the damping influence of the jointed fibres and their ability to absorb large amounts of impact energy.

This low-weight solution is particularly effective for military applications since it places less demand on vehicles carrying the fabric than traditional armour types, ensuring improved acceleration and driving performance.  The material is highly resistant to tearing and leads to decreased maintenance cost.  Frequently, the weight of the composite armour can be as little as a third of that required for steel armour.

The composite fibres can either be employed on their own, or used in combination with a ballistic steel or ceramic to meet the required standard of ballistic protection.  The strike surface acts to blunt or crush the ballistic projectile making it easier for the composite panel to handle.

Scanfiber produces composite armour panels featuring one of three forms of ballistic fibre: Aramide fibres ("Kevlar" or "Twaron"), Glass Fibres (fibreglass) and Polyerthylene fibres ("Spectra" or "Dyneema").  

Ballistic Protection Panels

Scanguard A Panels
Scanfibre's Scanguard A ballistic protection panels are made from Aramid fibres with a thermoplastic matrix fused together by hot pressing.  The Scanguard A is a middleweight ballistic panel providing adequate protection for the majority of applications such as ships, vehicles and buildings requiring hard ballistc protection.  Scanguard A is an affordable, attractive solution providing excellent ballistic performance.  The panels can be delivered water-jet cut either to standard sizes, or user-specified dimensions.

Scanfiber also offer Scantex A blankets made from the same form of Aramid fibres which also offer good ballistic protection.  The blankets are usually delivered as a tailor cut kit for covering particular areas, such as a vehicle floor.

Scanguard G Panels
Scanfibre's Scanguard G composites are made from E-fibre glass, also fused with a thermoplastic matrix by hot pressing.  The panel provides an effective, affordable solution for protection of containers and buildings.  The system is designed for situations when weight reduction is important but not essential.  The system can be deployed to protect embassies, ministries and container-based headquarters in post conflict regions.  The Scanguard G is delivered water-cut to client-specified or standard dimensions, but can easily be modified with standard hand tools.

Scanguard P Panels
Scanguard P is fabricated from polyethylene fibres supplied by DSM Dyneema - among the strongest fibres available worldwide - with an extremely high molecular weight.  The fibers are fused into protective panels by heating and pressing.  Scanguard P create light ballistic panels offering protection for applications ranging from aircraft to helicopters, light armoured vehicles and patrol boats.  As with the Scanguard G,the panels may be delivered jet-cut to either standard or client-specified dimensions, and can be adapted as required using standard hand tools.