Bullet Resistant Vests

TTT’s Bullet Resistant vests use layers of very strong fiber to "catch" and deform a bullet, mushrooming it into a dish shape, and spreading its force over a larger portion of the vest fiber. The body armor absorbs the energy from the deforming bullet, bringing it to a stop before it can completely penetrate the textile matrix. Some layers may be penetrated but as the bullet deforms, the energy is absorbed by a larger and larger fiber area.

While our bullet resistant vest can prevent bullet penetration, the vest and wearer still absorb the bullet's energy. Even without penetration, bullets contain enough energy to cause blunt force trauma under the impact point. Our vest specifications include both penetration resistance requirements and limits on the amount of impact energy that is delivered to the body which is of equal importance to penetration resistance. TTT depends on harsh testing of solutions as it is vital for the end user to understand the capability of the bullet resistant vests prior to being worn.

Institutions across the world have generated Standards to be able to standardize body armor use and procurement by end users allowing them to choose the best solution to save their life in relation with their every day threat Each standards has its own levels and parameters to assess the performance of a bullet resistant vest. TTT works closely with the end user to develop operationally needed bullet resistant vest putting into account variability in armor performance and test variability. Ballistic testing has a number of sources of variability: the armor, test backing materials, bullet, casing, powder, primer and the gun barrel, to name a few.

Vests designed for bullets offer little protection against blows from sharp implements, such as knives, arrows or ice picks, or from bullets manufactured of non-deformable materials. This is because the impact force of these objects stays concentrated to a relatively small area, allowing them to puncture the fiber layers of most bullet-resistant fabrics. TTT has actively developed soft body armor to be used by correctional officers and others whom require protection against blows from sharp implements

TTT has developed multiple threat bullet resistant vests due to a rising need from our end users and especially police forces while they were evaluating their “street threats” and requiring vests with both knife and ballistic protection. This multi threat approach is common in the European countries and is less popular in the USA. TTT has been able to develop several solutions for multi-threat users, by being able to manage the need to defeat the test blades, ballistic performance, and reduce impact resistance.

Soft Body Armor may be augmented with ceramic or polyethylene plates that provide extra protection to vital areas. TTT’s hard armor plates have proven effective against all handgun bullets and a range of rifles. These upgraded ballistic vests have become standard in military use, as any soft body armor vests are ineffective against military rifle rounds.

Vest sizing, carriers and encapsulation

In order for ballistic protection to be wearable, durable, and comfortable the Ballistic Panels and hard rifle-resistant plates are fitted inside a special carrier. TTT has wide variety of carriers which include pockets hold the ballistic panels and straps for mounting the carrier on the user. There are two major types of carriers: military or tactical carriers that are worn over the shirt, and covert law enforcement type carriers that are worn under the shirt.

Military Carriers

The military type of carrier, or police tactical carrier most typically has a series of webbing, hook and loop, and snap type connectors on the front and back face. This permits the wearer to mount various gear to the carrier in many different configurations. This load carriage feature is an important part of uniform and operational design for police weapons teams and the military. In addition to load carriage, this type of carrier may include pockets for neck protection, side plates, groin plates, and backside protection. Because this style of carrier is not close fitting, sizing in this system is straightforward for both men and women, making custom fabrication unnecessary.

Concealable Carriers

Law enforcement carriers in some countries are concealable. The carrier holds the ballistic panels close to the wearers body and a uniform shirt is worn over the carrier. This type of carrier must be designed to conform closely to the officer's body shape. For concealable armor to conform to the body it must be correctly fitted to a particular individual. TTT has programs that specify full custom measurement and manufacturing of armor panels and carriers to ensure good fit and comfort for concealable armor. If you are officer or department and you require a carrier to be designed to conform closely to the officer's body shape accurately please fill in the following measurement criteria.

Vest slips

A third textile layer is often found between the carrier and the ballistic components, and in most cases the end user does not realize its importance. The ballistic panels are covered in a coated pouch or slip. This slip provides the encapsulation of the ballistic materials. Slips are manufactured in two types: heat sealed hermetic slips and simple sewn slips. The slip is a critical part of the any type of bullet resistant vest as it prevents moisture from the user's body from saturating the ballistic materials. This protection from moisture cycling increases the useful life of the armor.