Hybrid Additive Manufactured-Aramid fibre body armour

在人员可能受到刺伤或穿透性威胁的情况下，防弹衣对于保护他们至关重要。装甲的防护性能可分为四类：1.钝伤防护--通常使用乙烯-乙酸乙烯酯(EVA)泡沫和模压丁腈-丁二烯(ABS)外壳来实现。耐刺伤-通常使用硬质聚碳酸酯(PC)胸板实现。防弹-通过芳纶或超高相对分子质量聚乙烯(UHMWPE)纤维层的叠层网络实现较低级别的保护，使用陶瓷板实现较高的保护。多重威胁(刺伤和防弹道)-使用芳纶/UHMWPE纤维和PC胸板的组合实现。虽然可以通过使用芳纶纤维装甲来实现对弹道威胁的保护，但这种装甲不适合提供对低速锋利力量威胁的保护，如刀片或尖刺。这是由于尖锐的武力威胁穿透在装甲的各个纤维元素之间。因此，为了实现抗刺伤和防弹性能，通常需要使用芳纶/UHMWPE纤维和PC棋盘。通过这样做，纤维装甲通常提供的改进的操纵性大大降低。虽然这些物品的防护性能自推出以来有所进步，但此类盔甲的使用者经常报告穿着不合适和不舒服的衣服。再加上PC和基于芳纶的盔甲等防护用品的高重量和低透气性，最好的结果是性能受损，如降低运行速度或操作操作能力，最坏的情况可能会导致生理影响，包括神经损伤和严重的肌肉骨骼损伤。附加制造(AM)是一组制造技术的名称，可以生产极其复杂的几何图形，而几乎不需要额外成本。随着高度可连接的类似纺织品结构的开发，这些工艺在服装生产中的应用已经在时尚领域得到了展示。PI最近进行的工作还表明，AM技术也可以用于实现对国际公认的英国内政部防弹标准的防刺性。该项目寻求利用AM技术提供的设计和制造机会，以及现有芳纶装甲增强的防护性能和可操纵性。为了实现这一点，将在赠款期间进行一系列AM材料优化和计算机辅助设计(CAD)活动，以及刺伤和弹道验证练习。这种混合防护系统的开发将是下一代防弹衣发展的重大飞跃，穿戴者的身体舒适性及其随后的操作性能与防护性能同样重要。总而言之，这项研究的目标是生产第一代AM-芳纶混杂纤维防弹衣面板，能够提供针对刺伤和弹道威胁的保护。

Body armour is essential to protect personnel in situations where they may be exposed to puncture or penetrative threats. The protective performance of armour can be split into four categories:1. Blunt trauma protection - often achieved using an Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA) foam and moulded Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) outer shell.2. Stab resistance - typically achieved using a rigid Polycarbonate (PC) chest plate.3. Ballistic resistance - Lower level protection via a laminated network of aramid or Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibre layers, with higher protection achieved using ceramic plates.4. Multi-threat (stab and ballistic resistance) - Achieved using a combination of aramid/UHMWPE fibres and a PC chest plate.Whilst protection against ballistic threats can be achieved through the use of aramid-fibre armour, such armour is unsuitable at providing protection against lower velocity sharp force threats such as blades or spikes. This is due to the sharp force threat penetrating between the individual fibrous elements of the armour. Therefore, to achieve stab and ballistic resistance the use of aramid/UHMWPE fibres coupled with a PC chestplate is often required. By doing so, the improved manouverability typically offered by fibre-based armour is substantially reduced. Whilst the protective performance of these articles have progressed since their introduction, users of such armour frequently report of ill-fitting and uncomfortable garments. This, combined with the high weight and low breathability of protective articles such as PC and aramid-based armour, at best results in impaired performance such as reduced running speeds or operational manouevrability, and at worst can lead to physiological effects including nerve damage and severe musculoskeletal injuries.Additive Manufacturing (AM) is the name for group of manufacturing techniques which can produce extremely complex geometries with little or no additional costs. The use of these processes for the production of clothing has already been demonstrated in the fashion arena with the development of highly articulated linkable textile-like structures. Recent work conducted by the PI has also demonstrated that AM technologies can also be utilised to achieve stab resistance to the internationally recognised UK Home Office body armour protective standards.This project seeks to utilise the design and manufacturing opportunities offered by AM technologies, coupled with the enhanced protective performance and manouverability of existing aramid-based armour. To achieve this a range of AM material optimisation and Computer Aided Design (CAD) activities, as well as stab and ballistic validation exercises will be performed within the grant period. The development of this hybrid protective system could present a significant leap in the development of the next generation of body armour in which the physical comfort of the wearer and their subsequent operational performance is as important a factor as protective performance. In summary, this research will aim to produce the first generation hybrid AM-aramid fibre body armour panel capable of providing protection against stab and ballistic threats.