Armored vehicles are a vehicle used mainly by the military, police, banks and others. They are characterized by being designed to withstand harsh conditions such as rough terrain, shooting with various types of weapons, including grenade launchers , or a mine hit.
Of course, here we are talking about different types of machines designed for a specific use in specific conditions.
The need for such vehicles pushes manufacturers to bring to market armored cars, buses, buses, 4×4 offroad vehicles, etc.
Installing bumpers in commercial vehicles is a very original idea, which began its development in the 90s of last century. The price of such custom machines is higher than that of a normal vehicle and mainly depends on the level of protection ordered by the customer.
The interesting thing here is that protection levels vary according to specific standards, which are different for different countries and continents. In Europe since 2006
The Association of Centers for Bulletproof Structures and Materials Certification Centers has adopted 14 levels of ballistic protection. In practice VPAN improves and replaces the older EN standard by considering the overall protection of the vehicle (PS) and not the individual elements as in EN.
Other popular standards are:
- United Kingdom BS 5051
- GOST R 50963-96 / GOST R 51112-97
- USA NIJ 0108.01, and here we are talking about protection against firearms, which does not include explosion protection
Explosion protection is a separate type of protection and again are different levels. As you can see, standards have changed and evolved over the years to provide their customers with the best.
Test vehicles for certification
There are many laboratories and institutes at this stage. which offer large-scale testing of prototypes, production cars, etc. . so that a vehicle receives certain ratings and protection category .
Armored vehicle protection level tests
The tests of armored vehicles are performed on a special test site, on which the car is subjected to shots from various weapons. In some cases, a grenade blast, mine, or other type of explosive device is added. Subsequently, specialists make a detailed assessment of the damage done, for give a specific certificate class.
Materials used to create armored vehicles
The use of quality and tested materials is the basis for creating a good product, especially when talking about an armored vehicle. With the development of materials science, the addition of new, higher quality materials has become a trend in vehicle modification . In recent years, we have seen a boom in the creation of new, stronger, more durable and lighter materials.
Here we can divide them into several main ones:
- ceramic
- polymers
- metals organic materials
- high carbon
Ceramics
They are extremely used in military equipment. Ceramics are characterized by high hardness and durability at extremely high temperatures.
Polymers
These materials have undergone tremendous development in recent years, as already on the market materials with exceptional qualities, such as high strength, heat resistance, toughness, lightness, etc. can be found.
Metals
These fossils are permanently used in a huge range of mechanical engineering , as here mainly the most durable stainless steels, alloys, aluminum, cermets are selected.
The development of materials is “driven” by a huge network of scientists, researchers and others. Here, science and technology play together for the common good, and military developments also contribute to the dynamic development of technology. The first step in creating of such a product is to be purposefully tested for use in the protection and reinforcement of armored vehicles.
Very often, scientists study the environment and living organisms to obtain a specific solution, material or other type of prototype.
An interesting example is the shrimp boxer – it is quite a researched specimen due to the fact that it feeds mainly on crustaceans, mussels, fish, etc. The interesting thing about it is that it breaks the shells of every crustacean it comes across.
This little bully can’t be stopped by its hard shells, and that’s why scientists are studying its limbs, adapted to smash extremely healthy crustaceans and mollusks.
The figures are impressive: nearly 100 km / h impact speed and force approximately 1500 kg pressure, i.e. 2500 times the weight of the shrimp . The research here is focused on construction and material , from which the “battle limb” of the crustacean is made.
This study is actually already yielding results and there are materials and elements made on this market on the market. They are used in the production of body armor.
In practice, much of the military materials sooner or later they are used for commercial purposes. In reality, science researches and uses the knowledge gained from years of research to improve available technology. One of the most valuable resources in this research is an environment that provides knowledge, skills, technology and what not.
Last but not least are the materials with high carbon content – examples of this are diamonds, graphite, etc. As we know, diamonds are a material with exceptional qualities , but also with an extremely high price.
The use of diamonds in armor production, despite their high cost, is gaining ground, which gives impetus to research to create artificial prototypes of precious stones.
The diamond belongs to the ceramic class, but can still be considered separately as it is a special type. Despite what has been said so far, the durability of a material is not only determined by the crystal lattice, hardness, toughness, etc. Sometimes the combination of structures plays a vital role.
Nowadays, we see serial car manufacturers offering their customers an additional option – to buy an armored car that meets certain standards. These are a specific fragment of vehicles designed for customers who want more security.
Of course, every extra comes at a price , especially when it comes to for the increased security of the car we have chosen. That’s why experts and traders strongly recommend us any higher protection , as long as we can afford it.
Many of the big players in the market are already offering test systems on their cars as part of the quality of their products. Here we can mention: Mercedes, BMW, Toyota many others.
Because each person decides exactly what he wants, and some customers are willing to invest solid funds in protection of their vehicles , they trust well-known organizations and companies specializing in improving and booking various vehicles. Many of these specialized companies test their machines themselves.
Photos: https://brone.bg/