Kit them out

Conventional woven and knitted products have now largely been supplanted by innovative new composite fabrics, such as those produced by South African company Brits Nonwoven (Stand N3-100).

The company is a leading technical nonwoven business serving the international market with products for specialist military applications.

Nonwovens have grown in popularity as new and beneficial properties were developed into multi-layer composites fabrics. These fabrics are lighter in weight, significantly more breathable and superior in tear and breaking strength over conventional products. A good example is UHMWP (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) for ballistic applications.

Among its products are fibrecore mattresses for military bedding, filling, wadding and batting for cold-weather jackets and sleeping bags.

Its speciality tactical wipes are used for sanitation and hygiene, insect control and wound management to control bleeding and assist with healing. Its natural fibre mats are ideal for sleeper mats or sniper pads. New projects under way include felted nonwovens utilising para-aramid yarns for fragmentation resistance and improved back-face management for ballistic vests.

A key benefit of nonwovens in military applications is that they contain three-dimensional fabric structures, allowing hybrid products to be manufactured cost-effectively, with the external portion made with totally different properties to the internal portion. In this manner, the product can be water absorbent on the inside and water repelling on the outside.

In the same way, the outside can be designed to possess flame resistance or chemical protection while the inside, which makes contact with the skin, remains soft and supple.

The company prides itself on being an eco-friendly business that takes more than 80 per cent of all raw materials in its production processes from a recycled base.