Alida Bullet-proof Vest production process:

Step 1: Making the panel material

To make Kevlar, the polymer poly-para-phenylene terephthalamide need to first be produced in the laboratory. That is carried out via a method called “polymerization”, which entails combining molecules into lengthy chains. The resultant crystalline liquid with polymers within the form of rods is then extruded via a spinneret (a small metallic plate complete of tiny holes that seems like a shower head) to form Kevlar yarn. The Kevlar fiber then passes through a cooling tub to help it harden. After being sprayed with water, the synthetic fiber is wound onto rolls. The Kevlar producer then commonly sends the fiber to throwsters, who twist the yarn to make it suitable for weaving. To make Kevlar material, the yarns are woven in the most sincere pattern, plain or tabby weave, that's simply the over and beneath the pattern of threads that interlace instead.

Step 2: cutting the panels

Kevlar material is despatched in massive rolls to Alida. The material is first unrolled onto a reducing table that should be lengthy sufficient to permit numerous panels to be cut out at a time; on occasion it may be as long as 32.79 yards (30 meters). As many layers of the cloth as needed (as few as eight layers, or as many as 25, relying on the level of protection favored) are laid out on the slicing table.

Subsequent, a reduce sheet, much like pattern portions used for home stitching, is then positioned on the layers of fabric.

The use of a hand-held device that plays like a jigsaw except that instead of a slicing cord it has a five.91-inch (15-centimeter) cutting wheel just like that at the give up of a pizza cutter, a worker cuts around the cut sheets to form panels, which can be then positioned in precise stacks.

Step 3: stitching the panels

Whilst Spectra guard commonly does not require sewing, as its panels are commonly simply reduce and stacked in layers that go into tight-becoming pouches inside the vest, a bulletproof vest made from Kevlar can be either cover-stitched or field-stitched. Cover-stitching forms small diamonds of material separated via stitching, whereas box stitching paperwork a vast unmarried box inside the center of the vest. Quilt-sewing is extra exertions-in depth and complicated, and it offers a solid panel this is hard to shift away from susceptible regions. Container-stitching, however, is rapid and easy and permits the free motion of the vest.

To stitch the layers collectively, workers area a stencil on pinnacle of the layers and rub chalk on the exposed areas of the panel, creating a dotted line at the fabric. A sewer then stitches the layers collectively, following the sample made by way of the chalk. Next, a length label is sewn onto the panel.

Step four: completing the vest

The shells for the panels are sewn together in the equal manufacturing unit using wellknown commercial sewing machines and standard sewing practices. The panels are then slipped inside the shells, and the add-ons—such as the straps—are sewn on.

The completed bulletproof vest is boxed and shipped to the customer.

Step 5: first-rate control

Bulletproof vests go through a few of the equal assessments a regular piece of garb does. The fiber manufacturer checks the fiber and yarn tensile electricity, and the cloth weavers test the tensile strength of the ensuing material. Nonwoven Spectra is likewise tested for tensile electricity by way of the manufacturer. Vest producers take a look at the panel material (whether or not Kevlar or Spectra) for strength and production satisfactory manipulate requires that skilled observers investigate the vests after the panels are sewn and the vests completed.

Bulletproof vests, not like regular clothing, have to go through stringent protection testing as required through the countrywide Institute of Justice (NIJ). Now not all bulletproof vests are alike. A few protect against lead bullets at low speed, and a few shield in opposition to full metal jacketed bullets at high pace. Vests are categorized numerically from lowest to maximum safety: I, II-A, II, III-A, III, IV, and unique instances (those for which the customer specifies the safety wanted). Every category specifies which sort of bullet at what pace will not penetrate the vest. At the same time as it seems logical to select the highest-rated vests (inclusive of III or IV), such vests are cumbersome, and the needs of a person carrying one may deem a lighter vest greater suitable. For police use, a wellknown rule cautioned by using specialists is to purchase a vest that protects against the sort of firearm the officer contains generally.

The scale label on a vest is essential. No longer most effective does it consist of length, model, fashion, manufacturer's brand, and care instructions as everyday garb does, it should additionally encompass the protection score, lot quantity, date of problem, a demonstration of which aspect need to face out, a serial range, a observe indicating it meets NIJ approval standards, and—for type I through type III-A vests—a giant warning that the vest will not protect the wearer from sharp instruments or rifle fire.

Bulletproof vests are tested both while moist and dry. This is accomplished due to the fact the fibers used to make a vest carry out in a different way whilst moist.

Checking out (moist or dry) a vest entails wrapping it around a modeling clay dummy. A firearm of the right type with a bullet of the perfect kind is then shot at a velocity suitable for the type of the vest. Every shot need to be three inches (7.6 centimeters) away from the brink of the vest and almost inches from (5 centimeters) away from preceding shots. Six shots are fired, at a 30-degree perspective of prevalence, and four at a zero-degree attitude of incidence. One shot should fall on a seam. This approach of taking pictures paperwork a extensive triangle of bullet holes. The vest is then grew to become upside down and shot the identical way, this time creating a slender triangle of bullet holes. To skip the check, the vest should display no signal of penetration. That is, the clay dummy have to have no holes or portions of vest or bullet in it. Although the bullet will depart a dent, it ought to be no thicker than 1.7 inches (four.Four centimeters).

While a vest passes inspections, the model quantity is certified, and the manufacturer can then make precise duplicates of the vest. After the vest has been tested, it's far located in an archive in order that in the destiny vests with the same model variety may be easily checked towards the prototype.