CAV uses opaque armor to bullet-proof the remainder of the vehicle. This comprises advanced materials including high-hardened ballistic steel, ballistic nylon, and Spectra Shield®. These are used to protect the passenger compartment of the vehicle as well as the firewall, battery, and fuel tank.
High-hardened Ballistic Steel
The material Spectra Shield® is specially manufactured for ballistic resistance. It is a composite laminated under heat and pressure to produce an ultra high-performance ballistic sheet lighter (but 10X stronger) than steel. Spectra Shield® has all the ballistic strength of Kevlar, yet it is much more flexible and about 30% lighter, providing enhanced ballistic performance.
Its design versatility makes it ideal for many hard-armor applications. It is available in structural sheet panels or custom configurations and can be cut and drilled which makes it much easier to work with than aluminum or steel. Because Spectra Shield® can be molded to the contours of the body of the vehicle, it provides a perfect fit for the automobile.
Spectra Shield® has phenomenal device characteristics. As a polyethylene, it has a high resistance to moisture and chemicals; commercially, it is used as a combustion retardant. It also has exceptional fragmentation protection and back-face deformation reduction. Most importantly though, Spectra Shield® provides excellent protection from high-velocity rifle rounds, multiple hits, and angle shots. It meets or exceeds all UL 752 and NIJ 0108-01 requirements, ensuring the highest level of quality and performance.
Spectra Shield®
The development of Spectra Shield® technology began in the late 1980s. By laying parallel strands of synthetic fiber side by side and holding them in place with a resin, its manufacturers were able to create a unidirectional tape. They then cross-plied every new layer at right angles and fused the entire structure into a composite structure under heat and pressure. This allowed the cross-plied material to be packaged and shipped as rolls.
The distinct advantage of Spectra Shield® technology, especially in armor applications, is that it preserves the strength of the fiber encased within the resin matrix. Because the fibers are not crimped like they are in a traditional weaving process, the energy of the projectile is allowed to rapidly dissolve along the length of the fiber. The normal weaving process is harmful to any synthetic fiber because the bending and flexing that occurs in weaving reduces the characteristic molecular alignment that gives synthetics their strength. The high-energy absorption of Spectra Shield® is especially maximized during a ballistic event, reducing the knockdown effect of the projectile tremendously.
Spectra Shield® Cut-to-Size
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from Honeywell on SpectraShield®
