Hybrid Additive Manufactured-Aramid fibre body armour

防弹衣是必要的，以保护人员在情况下，他们可能暴露于穿刺或渗透的威胁。装甲的防护性能可分为四类：1.装甲的防护性能。钝性创伤保护-通常使用乙烯-醋酸乙烯（EVA）泡沫和模压的丙烯腈-丁二烯-苯乙烯（ABS）外壳。抗刺伤-通常使用刚性聚碳酸酯（PC）胸板实现。抗弹道-通过芳纶或超高分子量聚乙烯（UHMWPE）纤维层的层压网络提供较低水平的保护，使用陶瓷板实现更高的保护。多重威胁（抗刺伤和抗弹道）-使用芳纶/超高分子量聚乙烯纤维和PC胸板的组合实现。虽然对弹道威胁的保护可以通过使用芳纶纤维装甲来实现，但这种装甲不适合提供对低速锐力威胁的保护，如叶片或尖刺。这是由于锋利的力量威胁穿透之间的单个纤维元素的装甲。因此，通常需要使用芳纶/超高分子量聚乙烯纤维加上PC胸板来实现抗刺和抗弹道。通过这样做，通常由纤维装甲提供的机动性大大降低。虽然这些物品的防护性能自推出以来一直在进步，但这种盔甲的用户经常报告不合身和不舒服的服装。再加上防护用品（如PC和芳纶盔甲）的高重量和低透气性，最好的结果是性能受损，如降低跑步速度或操作机动性，最坏的情况是可能导致生理影响，包括神经损伤和严重的肌肉骨骼损伤。增材制造（AM）是一组制造技术的名称，它可以以很少或没有额外成本生产极其复杂的几何形状。这些工艺在服装生产中的应用已经在时尚领域得到了证明，即开发出高度铰接的可连接的类纺织品结构。PI最近进行的工作也表明，增材制造技术也可以用来达到国际公认的英国内政部防弹衣防护标准的防刺性。该项目旨在利用增材制造技术提供的设计和制造机会，并结合现有芳纶装甲的增强防护性能和可操作性。为了实现这一目标，将在拨款期内进行一系列增材制造材料优化和计算机辅助设计（CAD）活动，以及刺伤和弹道验证演习。这种混合防护系统的开发可以为下一代防弹衣的开发带来重大飞跃，在下一代防弹衣中，穿着者的身体舒适度及其随后的操作性能与防护性能一样重要。总之，这项研究的目标是生产第一代混合am -芳纶纤维防弹衣，能够防止刺伤和弹道威胁。

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.