DSM's Innovative Material is First to Enable Soft Ballistics with Unique Combination of Stopping Power, Lower Weight and Flexibility26-Sep-07

DSM Dyneema today announced that the Hong Kong police force is using body armor made with Dyneema® SB21 unidirectional (UD) composite for protection against steel core ammunition. The bullet-resistant vests are the first soft ballistics to meet the required level of protection of the Hong Kong police force; conventional vests utilize hard-pressed panels or metal. Dyneema® SB21 UD offers a unique combination of stopping power, light weight and flexibility to this body armor, which incorporates ballistic packs manufactured by Chongqing Jinguan New Technology Co. under the close supervision of Techcom Security Technology Limited of Hong Kong. Intellectual property protection has been obtained to guard this unique body armor.

By meeting the stringent technical requirements of the Hong Kong police force – stopping Chinese Type 51B steel core ammunition shot from a Type 54 pistol at a speed of 411 +/- 12 m/sec – Dyneema® SB21 UD composite can replace metal and other rigid materials in bullet-resistant vests. Its ultra-high energy absorption helps to protect against many threats. Further, body armor made with Dyneema® UD provides enhanced comfort and greater freedom of movement to law enforcement officers. Moreover, it will save more lives as it offers the possibility for better engineered solutions for concealable body armor.

“Hong Kong’s police force has exceptionally strict protection requirements for body armor that exceed those of other major Chinese cities ,” said Mr Eddie Ho CEO Techcom Security Technology Ltd.. “At the same time, the organization wished to find a more comfortable and flexible product. Only vests made with Dyneema® UD allowed us to provide this customer with a solution that met all specifications. We also employed skillful tailors in designing the style of the vest to ensure that it fits the everage body size of the local policemen. This next-generation material sets a new standard for protection and wearability.”

"We choose Dyneema® UD composite after conducting numerous tests and extensive process optimization", said Mr. Sun Lu, CEO of Chongqing Jinguan New-Tech Co., Ltd., the manufacturer of the ballistic vests.

"The ballistic vests which we supplied to the Hong Kong Police are the result of a long-term cooperation between Jinguan and DSM Dyneema in which we addressed the technical challenge of soft ballistic vests’ inability to protect against steel core bullets. We believe that ongoing cooperation with DSM Dyneema will enable us to provide our customers with better, optimized solutions for safety and protection applications in the future."

Mr. Brian Hoggard, Assistant Commissioner (Support) of the Hong Kong Police, praised that the new vests provide a higher level of ballistic protection, contoured body fit and additional body protection around the waist when compared with the existing ones. The successful procurement of the new body armor is a milestone in terms of supply of new personal protective equipment. "It's lighter and fits the body better," Police Constable Tsang remarked after putting on the new body armor. Overall, officers were delighted with the new body armor, which meets desirability features, comfort and the necessary level of ballistic protection.

Josse Kunst, Vice President Life Protection APAC of DSM Dyneema, said, “Through continuous innovation, DSM Dyneema is meeting law enforcement’s increasingly tough requirements for ballistic protection. Our high-performance composites helped our customers, Chongqing Jinguan New Technology Co. and Techcom Security Technology Ltd., to develop an innovative product that addresses the demands of the Asian market. In fact, police forces from mainland China are expected to upgrade their protection specifications to match Hong Kong’s, opening additional opportunities for this unique body armor .”