Designing bullet-proof helmets and vests and stab-proof wear suited for local needs could be easier in India. DuPont, the US-based science and engineering-based product firm, has opened a ballistics facility at DuPont Knowledge Centre near here.

Using equipment here, one can calculate velocity of a bullet and with what it impact is hitting a helmet or a vest. Details of the impact of the bullet or a stab, called trauma, captured in the computer systems could hold the key in developing robust protective gear for law-enforcement agencies.

Besides testing impact of a ballistic attack in a testing range, the facility could design a helmet using a 600-tonne helmet press.

There is a stab-testing machine too. “Riot police who mingle with people would require a knife-proof vest. We develop this by putting several layers of DuPont's proprietary product Kelvar to test. We will drop a sharp object with measurable force and see the impact,” a DuPont executive said at a demonstration.

Mr Rajeev Vaidya, President (South Asia) of DuPont, said this facility was the first for the firm in Asia-Pacific region and third outside the United States. The $38-billion US firm with over 70,000 employees globally has 4,000 staff in Hyderabad and Pune.

“This facility also have capabilities to upgrade and test performance of armours for a higher threat level. It also has facilities to test the products against local and international standards for ballistics and stab resistance.

“This facility would reduce time for manufacturers in developing solutions for law enforcement agencies and military.

> kurmanath@thehindu.co.in

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