Ploughshare Innovations Ltd.
Unit 2, Nine Mile Water Business Park, Nether Wallop, Stockbridge, Hampshire SO20 8DR United Kingdom
T: +44 (0) 1794 301602
© Ploughshare Innovations Ltd 2010
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Ploughshare Innovations Ltd.
Unit 2, Nine Mile Water Business Park
Nether Wallop, Stockbridge
Hampshire SO20 8DR
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0) 1794 301602
info@ploughshareinnovations.com
Innovative new vehicle armour developed
March 2010
Professor Peter Brown, who headed up the Dstl research team, says: “It sounds like a crazy idea, but introducing holes doubles the ballistic performance of Super Bainite as well as halving its weight. This is because when a bullet hits, it’s always near to the edge of a hole. This causes the bullet to topple over, turning it from a sharp projectile into a blunt fragment which is easier to stop. The holes are of course too small to enable a bullet to pass through.”
In addition to Super Bainite being invented, designed and manufactured entirely in the UK, its exceptional strength arises from a new low-temperature processing step called ‘isothermal hardening’ – a way of achieving ultra-high hardness without having to use expensive alloying additions. If all goes well Super Bainite will soon be available to buy and the UK will have its own supply of high performance steel armour.
Notes for Editors
About Ploughshare Innovations Ltd.
Ploughshare manages the commercial licencing to industry of Intellectual Property developed by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).
Tel +44 (0)1794 301602 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
About Dstl
Dstl is the centre of scientific excellence for the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD). It provides impartial scientific and technological advice to the UK Armed Forces and British Government.
More than 3,700 of the nation’s most talented and creative scientists, technologists and engineers work for Dstl at its three main sites: Porton Down, near Salisbury, Portsdown West, near Portsmouth, and Fort Halstead, near Sevenoaks.