Hardwire is Evolving into Capabilities for Economical Composite Armor.

Hardwire, LLC has targeted low-cost composite armor as one of its new strategic initiatives. Following 12 months of extensive research, working closely with the Army Research Lab, Hardwire has conceived a set of its wire products specifically intended for the reinforcement of low-cost armor.

"Armor for the masses," says George C. Tunis III, founder and president. Hardwire-based armor is intended for applications that need the weight reductions possible with composite armor systems, and at a fraction of the cost of many of today's baseline products.

Hardwire fiber reinforced composite armor is low in cost like steel plate but it can be as much as two orders of magnitude lower in cost than traditional advanced fiber composite armor (in one estimate, as low as 2% the cost). Strike face materials can be anything from specific stone facings (patent pending) for building defenses up to advanced hardened ceramics for mobile armor plate.

How Hardwire Fiber is Used The Hardwire reinforcement system may be used to strengthen many types of matrix resins for the backing plate in a "gappy," easy to manufacture format (with spacing between the fibers). The Gappy material makes it easy to get the resin systems impregnated into the fiber performs and a "resin button" effect makes for superior multi-hit performance. All types of thermoset materials perform well wi the Hardwire fibers, and thermoplastic resins, with or without glass fiber added, perform even better. Parts can be made using LFT, film stacking, RTM, RIM, press molding, VARTM, or by simply pouring resin into performs much like casting concrete into rebar performs.

This family of materials and systems is effective. Hardwire is especially effective when used with hardened strike faces. The instantaneous stiffness and super high strength of the Hardwire wire cords work effectively to spread and diffuse the shock waves of the incoming ballistic threats. The superior toughness and cut resistance of the Hardwire cords versus other fibers helps the ballistic laminates function as a catcher's mitt for the pulverized bullet fragments once the hard face has destroyed the round.

Advanced polyurea adhesives and coatings can be added to the Hardwire system for amazing multihit performance. "Our research has found that very specific combinations of materials work the best in grueling multi-hit tests. Our business is to find those combinations that work with Hardwire and make it easy for our customers to get the information and turn our discoveries into their profits," added Tunis.

Ballistic Testing Video Review Advanced Materials & Composites News has viewed proprietary video of some ballistic tests with Hardwire reinforcements in new composites ballistic laminates. Here is what we saw: In this recent armor plate testing, Hardwire reinforcements in a composite were tested with an AK47 threat and also a 300 Weatherby mag threat. The test ...