Para-Aramid is the most commonly used material as armour for protection against bullets used in hand guns because of its impact resistance, high strength and low weight. These properties make Para-Aramid an ideal material to be used in bullet-proof vests as compared to other materials. In the present study, different numbers of layers of Para Aramid with different weights are tested to determine the weights and the number of layers needed to design a safe bullet-proof vest.

Soft-core bullets can be stopped with soft panels, i.e., textile fabrics layered on top of one another. However, specifications today often have to cover different types of bullets with different physical characteristics. Some of these require a customized and dedicated textile solution. Thanks to the high flexibility and wearing comfort that is possible today, such solutions can now be incorpo- rated into body armor applications.

Most current Para Aramid ballistic materials used for personal protection are woven, the advantage is:

• Fabrics offer very good stability, as well as flexibility

• Fabrics are easy to handle, to cut and to process into finished product

• Fabrics can be finished to be water-repellent, making them superior to other materials when exposed to moisture

• On ballistic impact, threads are not pulled out or pushed aside

• The required production technology is widely available

• A matrix can be easily applied to a fabric, allowing the use of laminates for even higher levels of protection if required.