A ballistic plate is a protective armoured plate that is inserted into a bulletproof vest to improve the vest’s safety during high-risk scenarios. Troops, police officers, and other law enforcement personnel wear light body armour as a common practice when on routine patrol and public monitoring. But the use of Hard Ballistic Plates becomes essential in unfortunate circumstances such as in actual combats, shooting outbreaks, or street riots. Ballistic plates are vital inserts in the front and back pockets of armour carriers that will save your life or save you from injuries.
DIMENSIONS AND SIZING
The armour plate’s weight and coverage are determined by the plate’s cut and size. Body Armor plates are classified into several types depending on their size and cut available in the market. SAPI cut with two sloped cuts on two top corners, Full cut with its square or rectangular shape protects the whole back. Shooter’s cut with a trapezoid shape stretched over a rectangle enhances agility and eases the mobility of users. Swimmer’s cut is similar to the shooter’s cut, but it has a smaller upper region that allows for greater mobility in the shoulders and upper back.
The design of trauma plates is intended to shield the user’s vital organs, such as the heart and lungs, and not the whole body or torso. Therefore, it is vital to know which size is the best fit for you. Protective armoured plates are also available in a range of sizes, including small, medium, large, and extra-large, to suit a variety of body shapes.
MATERIALS USED TO MANUFACTURE BALLISTIC PLATE.
The ability of the body armour plate to shield the user from a bullet is largely due to its materials. Ceramic and polymers are two of the most used materials.
Ceramic rifle plates are made of ceramic tiles, which halt the projectiles by shattering them into pieces, lowering projectile penetration capacity. The supportive backing layers of Kevlar and steel serve as absorbent agents, preventing accidental ceramic breakage.
Ceramic plates have inferior multi-hit resistance, which means that while they do block a projectile, the brittle nature of ceramic triggers breakage when the bullet impacts them. The plate weakens with each bullet impact, as a result, only a small number of rounds can be resisted and would eventually become inadequate to secure the wearer’s safety.
Polymers such as Polyethylene plates are a great complement among government and military officers in addition to ceramic plates. Polyethylene is strewn into yarn, woven into a fabric that competes with modern aramid fabrics in strength, resilience, and weight, and is a common material used in the vests. This material is usually subjected to high-pressure treatment, which enhances its durability and other properties. Backing materials are not needed, which offers an added advantage in terms of weight reduction.
The polyethylene plates do not fracture when struck by a projectile. It is flexible, making it a safer option for combat and similar high-risk occurrences. One factor that consumers should bear in mind is that polyethylene plates are expensive than ceramic plates. Nonetheless, for its resilience and lightweight properties, you will be less concerned about your protection when wearing them.
Viscoelastic polymer compounds produced by different firms are in the limelight due to their incredibly high degree of energy dissipation during explosions, vibrations, and so on. The material, and padding made from it, derive their superior energy absorbing capacity from the distinctive physical properties of the viscoelastic compound.
Body armour is necessary for controlling blunt force trauma, which is a hazard to the internal organs when pierced by a blunt projectile such as a bullet. In a high-risk case, though, further defence in the form of ballistic plate inserts will prevent you from injuries or even death.