Ballistic performances of Ramor 500, Armox Advance and Hardox 450 steels under monolithic, double-layered, and perforated conditions

Abstract

This study investigates the ballistic impact response of two armor steels (Armox Advance and Ramor 500) and a structural wear-resistant steel (Hardox 450) in monolithic, double-layered, and perforated plate configurations. As ammunitions, 7.62 mm NATO Ball, 7.62 × 51 AP (armor piercing), and 12.7 mm APM2 bullets were used in the ballistics tests. The tests were performed per EN 1522/1523 ballistic test standards and at FB6 and FB7 levels. The results showed different perforation behaviors for different plate configurations. All the monolithic plates were perforated with 7.62 mm AP bullets except for Armox Advance. Double-layered plate configurations, on the other hand, showed resistance to penetration. Among those, only the Ramor500 + Ramor 500 double-layered plate configuration was perforated by 7.62 mm AP bullets. All the pre-perforated plate configurations resulted in total protection regardless of ammunition type and plate materials.