A proposed standard from ASTM International aims to provide a consistent way of comparing the significance of the relative weights of different designs of body armour. Subcommittee D13.19 on Industrial Fibers and Metallic Reinforcements, part of ASTM International Committee D13 on Textiles, is developing the standard-ASTM WK3 1929, Test Method for Areal Density Measurement of an Armour Panel. According to Amanda Forster of Subcommittee D13.19 and Mike Riley of Subcommittee E54.04 (which works on Personal Protective Equipment), the classical way of producing soft body armour is to stitch together layers of fabrics or laminates based on multi-plied, unidirectional fibres. However, experience has led to a greater understanding of the interaction of projectiles with such vests, leading to the evolution of more complicated designs.
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