With the tagline of ‘The bullet stops here’, Krugersdorp-based Bullet Proofing Technology (BPT) has supplied more than 1.3 million body armour plates and over 2 000 armoured vehicle kits to customers around the world.
At the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2024 exhibition in Pretoria it is showcasing a range of new products, including neutral buoyance armour, ultralight body armour plates, and 3D moulded armoured shields, amongst others.
BPT was established in South Africa in 1997 as a developer and manufacturer of bullet resistant and armour protection materials and systems. Since then, BPT has become South Africa’s foremost manufacturer and supplier of advanced armour protection materials and products, said Deon du Plessis, Managing Director of Bullet Proofing Technology.
The company’s main focus is on body armour plates and military vehicle armour. BPT completes 300-500 vehicle armour sets a year, and 70-150 000 body armour panels annually. The other 5% of BPT’s turnover comes from specials, including bullet traps, shields, aircraft, ship and building armour. Materials used include ceramics, Aramid fibre, armour steel, special polymers and UHMWPE (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) fibres.
“BPT has its own production facilities in South Africa and by using technology established in South Africa since 1976, BPT has the ability to develop and produce unique products and materials based on the threats encountered in Africa and other world regions,” Leon van der Westhuizen, BPT’s technical Director, said. The company is fully BBBEE compliant with more than 51% Black Ownership and more than 90% of all materials used are manufactured in South Africa.
BPT’s products are in use all over the world and in varying environmental conditions, from subzero temperatures in Sweden to Middle Eastern countries where temperatures can soar beyond 40 degrees Celsius. Du Plessis emphasised that BPT’s products have proven themselves in hugely different environments, and its quality control system is certified to ISO 9001:2015 requirements.
BPT brought a range of new products to the 2024 edition of the Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition, and these include:
Lightweight neutral buoyancy armour: By investing in ultra-high pressure heated platten presses, BPT has established a local manufacturing capability in ultra-low weight armour protection panels using UHMWPE materials developed in Europe and the USA. The UHMWPE plates are so light that they have neutral buoyancy and can actually float on water, thus having only a small effect on the weight and centre of rotation of any watercraft, aircraft or vehicle. This product is also extensively used in armouring luxury civilian vehicles.
“Ultralight” body armour plates: Technology has made huge leaps forward in armour development, and BPT notes the weight of body armour plates has been dropping, going from over 3 kg in 1990 to less than 1 kg now for a locally produced Level III body armour plate. At a weight of less than 1 kg for a 250 x 300 mm multi-curve plate, BPT says its “Ultralight” plates are so light and comfortable that they can be worn for extended periods. The plates exceed the requirements of NIJ 0101 Level III, by also providing protection against the threats encountered in Southern Africa, being the 5.56×45 Ball (R4) and 7.62×39 Ball (Mild Steel Core) (AK-47) threats. There are ICW (In Conjunction With) and Stand-Alone versions of the “Ultralight” plates available, with only a .1kg weight difference between the two versions.
Shields: Shields are again becoming a serious consideration for special task teams. BPT has used its newly developed “Ultralight” UHMWPE material as basis for a new lightweight Level III Shield, which, with the addition of an add-on panel, can be further upgraded to Level IV protection (up to .30-06 armour piercing rounds).
“Vikashield” add-on vehicle armour: As vehicle development and qualification costs are extremely high, it makes a lot of sense for armoured vehicle manufacturers to develop a base vehicle with a specific armour material and thickness and to qualify this to the structural and blast requirements, BPT maintains. By adding add-on materials, such as BPT’s Vikashield and other add-on armour systems, the protection level of the base vehicle can be increased to whatever is required. “As South Africa is now in the process of acquiring new lightweight border control vehicles, add-on armour such as the Vikashield system is now again a perfect solution which is available again, in a new refined system,” du Plessis said.
In addition to its new products, BPT is also highlighting the fact that it is accredited by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) to certify ballistic testing on body armour (SANS 1658:2007 and STANAG 2920), vehicle armour (EN 1523) and military vehicle armour (STANAG 4569). This is a first for South Africa and BPT is currently the only South African company accredited to do any of this testing in their specially equipped ballistic testing facility, the company said.
