An armor plate, also known as a protective plate, is a hardened piece of material designed to offer protection against various threats, such as ballistic projectiles, explosions, and impacts. Armor plates are used in a wide range of applications, including military vehicles, aircraft, naval vessels, and personal protective equipment like body armor.
Armor Plate Applications
The primary purpose of an armor plate is to absorb and dissipate the energy of incoming threats, thereby preventing penetration and reducing the potential damage or harm to the protected entity or individual. The effectiveness of an armor plate is determined by its ability to withstand and deflect the specific threats it’s designed to counter.
Armor plates can be custom designed for specific threats, such as bullets of various calibers, artillery shell fragments, or improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The design is heavily influenced by factors such as the type of threats expected, weight restrictions, and mobility requirements.
In addition to military and law enforcement applications, armor plates are also used in civilian contexts, such as cash transit vehicles, armored vehicles for personal protection, security personnel, and high-risk environments.
The development of advanced materials and manufacturing techniques continues to improve the effectiveness and versatility of armor plates across various fields.
Materials Used to Make Armor Plate
Armor plates can be constructed from various materials, each offering different levels of protection and properties:
Steel: Steel and other metals have been historically used as armor plate materials due to their toughness and durability. However, they can be heavy and relatively thick, which may limit mobility and add weight to vehicles or personnel.
Ceramics: Ceramic materials like alumina or boron carbide are used to create composite armor plates. These ceramics are extremely hard and can shatter bullets or other projectiles upon impact, dispersing their energy and preventing penetration.
Composite Materials: Modern armor plates often combine different materials to optimize protection, weight, and thickness. Composite armor plates may include a combination of metals, ceramics, and synthetic fibers.
Synthetic Fibers: High-strength synthetic fibers like aramid (e.g., Kevlar) and polyethylene are sometimes used in the construction of lightweight armor plates. These materials are flexible and offer a good balance between protection and mobility.
Dynamic Armor Plates from Titus Steel
Titus Steel has a long and successful history of fabricating and distributing armor and ballistic steel primarily for SWAT, law enforcement, and the military to use in their Live Fire Training Systems. We also manufacture armor and ballistic steel used in KITS for armored personnel vehicles and cash transit vehicles.
All of our steel is tested at various threat levels depending on your requirements, including everything from stopping a 7.62mm NATO round to a 45-calibre round.
Our testing is done according to one of four accepted standards: NIJ (Nation Institute of Justice), STANAG (Standard Agreement NATO), UL (Underwriters Laboratory), and CEN (European Committee for Standardization).
Titus Steel is equipped to supply the right armor plate for the right application. Contact us today to learn more about our products and to receive your customized quote.