Honeywell Introduces Improved Ballistic Material for Military, Police Vests and Soft Armor Applications
June 24 2009 - 10:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
MORRIS TOWNSHIP, N.J., June 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Honeywell
(NYSE: HON) announced today that it has introduced a new Gold
Shield(R) ballistic material with improved ability to stop bullets
and fragments in military and police armor applications. The new
ballistic material, Honeywell Gold Shield GN-2117, has demonstrated
up to a 10 percent weight reduction when compared to Honeywell's
traditional Gold Flex(R) material, which is also used in soft armor
applications. The new product also provides increased surface
durability and chemical resistance, allowing it to meet the
toughest global body armor standards for military and law
enforcement applications. "This new material incorporates
state-of-the-art composite technology to help armor manufacturers
achieve a high level of ballistic performance with increased
resistance to water, gas, and other environmental conditions," said
Joe Gelo, global business director for Honeywell's Advanced Fibers
and Composites business. "Honeywell remains committed to
continuously improving our ballistic materials to support the goals
of law enforcement and the military, which are to reduce armor
weight and improve protection capabilities." Gold Shield GN-2117
builds on Honeywell's proven Gold Flex ballistic material, a soft
armor material that combines Honeywell's patented Shield technology
with aramid fiber. For more than 10 years, Gold Flex has been one
of the most widely used ballistic materials in police and military
vests. The new Gold Shield GN-2117 incorporates a proprietary resin
and coating system, which provides its increased environmental and
chemical resistance, as well as improved fragment protection. This
patent-pending technology helps Gold Shield GN-2117 meet the most
stringent global body armor standards, including those of the
National Institute of Justice (NIJ), which is the research,
development and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of
Justice. Multiple vest models containing Gold Shield GN-2117 have
successfully completed certification testing under the new NIJ
0101.06 standard for body armor. The new material was announced at
the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement's
fourth-annual Military Armor Protection conference in McLean, Va.,
and was highlighted in a presentation by Dr. Lori Wagner,
technology leader for armor for Honeywell's Advanced Fibers and
Composites business. The introduction of Gold Shield GN-2117
further expands Honeywell's portfolio of ballistic materials for
advanced armor systems, including products for bullet-resistant
vests, breastplates, helmets, combat vehicles and military
aircraft. The Honeywell product line includes Gold Shield, Spectra
Shield(R) and Spectra Shield II materials. Spectra Shield and
Spectra Shield II use Honeywell's super-strength Spectra(R) fiber,
which, pound for pound, is 15 times stronger than steel yet light
enough to float. Shield technology is a patented Honeywell process
designed to optimize the ballistic performance characteristics of
Spectra and aramid fiber. Honeywell Specialty Materials, based in
Morristown, N.J., is a $5.3 billion global leader in providing
customers with high-performance specialty materials, including
fluorine products; specialty films and additives; advanced fibers
and composites; intermediates; specialty chemicals; electronic
materials and chemicals; and technologies and materials for
petroleum refining. Honeywell International
(http://www.honeywell.com/) is a Fortune 100 diversified technology
and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with
aerospace products and services; control technologies for
buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers;
and specialty materials. Based in Morris Township, N.J.,
Honeywell's shares are traded on the New York, London, and Chicago
Stock Exchanges. For more news and information on Honeywell, please
visit http://www.honeywellnow.com/. This release contains certain
statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within
the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that
address activities, events or developments that we or our
management intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates will
or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Such
statements are based upon certain assumptions and assessments made
by our management in light of their experience and their perception
of historical trends, current economic and industry conditions,
expected future developments and other factors they believe to be
appropriate. The forward-looking statements included in this
release are also subject to a number of material risks and
uncertainties, including but not limited to economic, competitive,
governmental, and technological factors affecting our operations,
markets, products, services and prices. Such forward-looking
statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual
results, developments and business decisions may differ from those
envisaged by such forward-looking statements. DATASOURCE: Honeywell
CONTACT: Nina Krauss of Honeywell, +1-973-455-4253, Web Site:
http://www.honeywell.com/
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