6 - Materials and design issues for military helmets

Abstract

As weaponry technology has advanced, the ballistic threat to humans has increased significantly. As well as the military, civilians who are exposed to these threats as part of their everyday work require adequate protective equipment. This increasing demand for body armour and ballistic helmets is driving the protective equipment industry to create lightweight, reliable protection adapted for specific applications and marketable to a wide range of consumers. This chapter focuses on a few theoretical aspects of head impact mechanics and related head injury criteria, considering design, manufacturing and testing procedures, with particular emphasis on the modern materials and tools used in the search for lightweight, cost-efficient and effective equipment.