Dyneema®
Dyneema® UD
Dyneema® UD is a unique lightweight composite providing superior anti-ballistic protection, for both personal and vehicle protection.
UD stands for ‘unidirectional’: in Dyneema® UD all the fibers are laid parallel, in the same plane, rather than being woven together. Dyneema® UD is made of several layers of Dyneema® fibers, with the direction of fibers in each layer at 90° to the direction of the fibers in the adjacent layers. The unidirectional configuration of the fibers in Dyneema® UD allows the energy transferred from the impact of a bullet or other threat to be distributed along the fibers much faster and more efficiently than in conventional woven fabrics. This is because the absorption power of the yarn in woven fabrics is lost at the crossover points, as these points reflect rather than absorb the shockwaves of the impact. In Dyneema® UD, much more of the material is engaged in stopping the bullet, making it more effective against ballistics.
Dyneema® UD is available in two types:
UD-SB
For ‘soft ballistic’ body armor to protect against handgun ammunition:
- Lightweight and flexible for maximum wearing comfort
- Strongly reduced blunt trauma effect
- Excellent protection against more aggressive handgun bullets
- Performance unaffected by moisture
UD-HB
For ‘hard ballistic’ applications for both personal and vehicle protection:
- Excellent protection against rifle fire (e.g. NATO Ball, AK47, Dragunov)
- Excellent mechanical rigidity and toughness
- Complex shapes can easily be molded
- Resistant to both high and low temperatures, such as those occurring in vehicles or in extreme climates
- Performance unaffected by moisture
- Positive buoyancy in water (ideal for marine operations)
Processing
Dyneema® UD is easy to process and handle:
- No special storage is required
- Dyneema® UD is a very clean material: no fiber filaments are released into the working space during cutting and handling
