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SPECIAL FOCUS MILITARY, AEROSPACE & DEFENCE
PROTECTING SOLDIERS ON THE BATTLEFIELD
Military concealment plays a vital role in protecting soldiers on the battlefield, therefore the camouflage netting support units need to be designed to withstand heaving loads, in extreme environments. Patrick Loock, segment business owner for products and applications at telescoping tube manufacturer Exel Composites, discusses the design considerations behind these support units and how their composition is optimised for function
confident that they will remain concealed, even during heavy rainfall or snow. Composite telescoping poles are therefore used to support camouflage nets rather than materials like aluminium as the material is lighter weight and offers faster speed of assembly. The composite tubes must therefore combine the strength and durability needed for support with lightweight flexibility to be able to carry heavy loads. To achieve these properties, careful
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consideration goes into every stage of manufacturing – from choosing the reinforcing fibres to the manufacturing process itself.
SELECTING THE MATERIAL Early applications for fibreglass date back to World War II, where design engineers used it for aircraft radomes. Since then, armed forces across the globe have used fibreglass in a variety of applications because of its corrosion- and weather- resistance, competitive cost, and design flexibility. For camouflage netting support units, fibreglass is chosen for its excellent tensile strength, meaning it can resist high forces that may pull other materials, like metal, apart. Fibreglass is also a great insulator with a low coefficient of thermal conductivity of 0.3W/m˚K. Alternatives like aluminium are much higher at approximately 200W/m˚K. On the battlefield, where thermal imaging cameras are commonly used to identify the position of the opposition, fibreglass is largely undetectable. However, the material itself is not the
only design consideration for composites in military applications. Fibre alignment provided by the manufacturing process also plays an important role.
STRENGTH FROM FIBRE ALIGNMENT Because of the specific helical fibre alignment it provides, the best process for manufacturing camouflage netting support units is pull-winding. Reinforcing fibres, mats and fabrics are guided together before being saturated with resin. Ultimately, this produces fibre alignment combining both crosswise and unidirectional
44 DESIGN SOLUTIONS FEBRUARY 2022
n order to deceive the enemy, camouflage netting is used to protect soldiers on the battlefield. However, the soldiers need to be
fibres, resulting in thinner tube walls and the strength and stiffness required for support. With other materials, such as aluminium, the
camouflage netting support units are painted a desired colour to help with concealment. However, rough handling of support units may result in colours chipping away, reducing concealability. To protect colour integrity and, ultimately, the concealment of soldiers, colour pigment or dye – usually NATO green or sand – is impregnated directly into the resin. This provides pigmentation across the width of the tube wall so that the same colour exists even if deep scratches are made in the tube.
SUPPORT Resin choice is critical in reinforcing the mechanical properties of a composite. Thermoset resins are used for camouflage netting support units because the resulting composite can keep its shape throughout its lifespan. They also display better chemical resistance compared to others, like epoxy.
Composites for military applications need a degree of flexibility to cope with varying weight loads and extreme temperatures, from -40 to 80˚C. Because composites are more tolerant of stretching, they are more likely to absorb impact without damage and less likely to shatter under stress. Even if a bullet punctures the support unit, the structure allows the tube to function well. Furthermore, composites are rust-free, making it resistant to water and therefore ideal for use in wetter terrains.
CHOOSING THE MANUFACTURER It is crucial that composite manufacturers have tailor-made solutions crafted especially for protecting troops. By collaborating alongside a trusted composite manufacturer, soldiers can be equipped with a lightweight, portable and rugged composite system that can withstand rough handling and extreme environmental conditions.
Exel Composites
www.exelcomposites.com
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