As the demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) increases globally, particularly for security forces, Karl Mayer’s Technical Textiles division is advancing solutions for producing ultra-light, high-performance fabrics.
The company has focused on creating multiaxial non-crimp fabrics that provide protection while maintaining comfort, a key factor for wearability. Jurgen Troltzsch, Special Specification Project Manager, explains that the company has been refining fabric solutions for several years, using aramid fibres for strong, lightweight protective materials.
These fibres, processed through a two-stage system involving the UD 700 fibre spreading machine and the Cop Max 5 multiaxial warp knitting machine, form fabrics with individual layer weights as low as 90 g/m².
Despite these advancements, the team sought to reduce weight further for enhanced comfort. They turned to ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibres, which are lighter than aramid yet offer equal energy absorption from projectiles.
Using the UD 700 fibre spreading system, UHMWPE fibres are spread into ultra-thin tapes, some as light as 30 g/m² per layer. The fibres are laminated with a 10 µm polymer film to fix the layers and prevent breakage during further processing.
In testing, cross-plies made from UHMWPE fibres met rigorous standards, including the US NIJ Standard 0101.06 for bulletproof materials. The Karl Mayer process enables the production of lighter, more cost-effective protective textiles without the need for liquid chemicals or energy-consuming processes. This innovation in multiaxial technology is already attracting attention from customers seeking advanced PPE solutions.
