TYR Tactical

Archive for the ‘Materials’ Category

Duro Releasing New Fabrics at SHOT Show

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Duro Textiles is releasing two new fabrics at SHOT Show.

LAMBA NTS – This product is the ideal base layer fabric. Weighing 3.75oz/sy this micro-polyester spandex blend makes for a great long or short sleeve garment. With excellent wicking and anti-microbial properties, comfort will be optimal.

BEAVER – This great value nylon spandex soft-shell is ideal for an outerwear jacket. It is a 3-ply configuration that has a soft tricot lining layer, a water-proof breathable film and a durable stretch face fabric. This product weighs approximately 6.7oz/sy utilizes Schoeller’s Nanosphere technology on the face for the most durable stain and water repellency performance. Please note that you must be a Schoeller licensee in order to hang-tag and/or market the Nanosphere brand.

Stop by Crye Precision booth #8103/8107 to see them first hand. We’ll post some photos and our impressions once we get a chance to check them out ourselves.

www.multicamtextiles.com

FirstSpear Introduces New Technology

Monday, January 16th, 2012

The guys at FirstSpear have been hard at work in their design shop cooking up some pretty amazing leaps forward in tactical nylon. The newest additions to their line include two distinct yet complimentary improvements; 6/12 and Tubes.

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ITW Military Products / AustriAlpin Teaming Up for a Project

Friday, January 13th, 2012

ITW Nexus/ Military Products has announced that they have teamed up with AustriAlpin to introduce a new innovative joint venture at SHOT Show that aligns the best of both company’s capabilities.

ITW Nexus/Military Products Business Unit Manager Craig Ernst indicated that while they are letting us in on it early, the product is currently in its infancy stage with release industry wide later this year.

Keep an eye out for the upcoming pictures and an interview with ITW and AustriAlpin during the show.

ITW Military Products is exhibiting in booth #10479.

Quiet Loop Released In Time For SHOT Show

Monday, January 9th, 2012

Already in use on several issue military uniforms, Quiet Loop is being officially released just in time for SHOT Show. Take a look at this video to get an idea of what it’s all about.

Developed by Propel LLC, a woman owned small business which has bee instrumental in military textiles, Quiet Loop is already integrated into SOCOM’s Protective Combat Uniform Levels 9 and 6 in the AOR1, AOR2 and MultiCam patterns. Based on increasing demand, Propel has now expanded manufacturing capacity for new DOD and tactical customers. Quiet Loop was developed in close collaboration with the US Army Natick Research, Design and Engineering Center and Propel was even awarded an Army funded R&D contract for this work. Natick tested the Propel product and their field testing has demonstrated how quiet it is. In fact, we’ve heard audio files collected during testing and it’s amazing how much more quiet it is than standard hook and loop configurations. Additionally, Quiet Loop exhibits great NIR and camouflage print definition which, when combined with the audio signature advances, contributes to an enhanced overall signature management effort.

Propel stocks Quiet Loop in Multicam VS, and with their unique printing process they can rapidly develop and print any other pattern with small minimums. At SHOT Show you’ll see Quiet Loop in the PenCott family of camouflage patterns from Hyde Definition and in new camouflage patterns from Orion Design Group.

Propel was founded in 2006 and is involved in multiple R&D efforts for enhanced Soldier and Firefighter protection. They also work with D3O, the UK impact protection technology that is also used in Level 9 PCU, and developed and manufacture the US Army’s FR Ghillie Yarn Accessory Kit among several other cool projects. If the project requires the development of a new military textile, Propel is most likely involved.

www.propel-llc.com

2012 – The Year of Materials

Monday, January 9th, 2012

We’ve already seen a prediction that 2012 will be the year of camouflage, and to a degree with this is true. Lots of patterns will be unveiled pursuant the US Army Camouflage Improvement Effort but with their program slipping further and further behind schedule the home run, winner-take-all announcement doesn’t look good for this year.

Instead, I’d like to propose that materials will be king this year. Whether they are completely new or just new ways of using existing ones, materials will have a major impact on our industry in 2012 and beyond.
We’ve already seen materials making a toe-hold. Consider Tyr Tactical’s PV material or Blue Force Gear’s Helium Whisper and you can see that there is a gradual shift in basic materials application. Then, there is whole revolution in digital printing that is allowing companies like GHOSTEX and Special Operations Apps to rapidly develop and produce new, tailored camouflage patterns as well as clothing and equipment in those patterns. The day when a client can identify an operational area and the radios, weapons and other equipment to be used and have clothing and individual equipment tailored in form and function within weeks rather than months is here. The scale is still limited but the capability exists.

Changes unveiled this year will shake some trees and leave a lasting impact how we do business. Even more importantly, these developments will inspire further changes in the out years as a new generation of developers begins to search outside the box for inspiration.

Look for a few of these new applications over the next few weeks and you’ll see what we mean.

Velcro USA Inc Unveils New Printed Hook and Loop Technology

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012

Velcro USA Inc, has announced its official launch of printed loop technology at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2012. This product allows loop product to blend with the camouflage patterns of soldier and professional user uniforms, thereby improving overall performance of clothing and individual equipment. That’s right, camouflage printed Velcro is finally available.

In a press release Velcro USA had this to say:
Printed loop technology has been a priority for Velcro USA Inc since it was determined by the Department of Defense that signature management is paramount for our men and women in uniform. Focusing on every opportunity for improvement in signature management necessitated the development of previously unavailable printed loop that would blend seamlessly into combat uniforms.

This isn’t the first time that Velcro has developed new products specifically for the military. They went on to say, “Velcro USA Inc has been working with the DoD for several decades to develop hook and loop technologies that directly meet unique mission needs. The company has recently invested significant energy in a robust research effort to arrive at next-generation products that improve performance of uniform and equipment for our soldiers and end-users. Notably, printing on loop type material is extraordinarily difficult, particularly when ensuring that the stringent technical requirements of the DoD are met.

“This printed loop technology is a breakthrough product that greatly enhances soldier performance in combat and meets a direct need of the US military. We are extremely proud at Velcro USA Inc. to work with the DoD to develop solutions for the needs of our men and women in uniform,” said Will Tagye, Senior Marketing Manager-Government for Velcro USA Inc. “Our employees in New Hampshire are dedicated to manufacturing in the United States and ensuring that we do not lose the capability to develop and field these vital technologies for our soldiers and professional users. This is just the beginning of many new exciting products to expect out of Velcro USA Inc.”

The new printed hook and loop technology is available to DoD contractors and other tactical and commercial customers now. Interested parties may see the technology firsthand on several new pieces of equipment at the Shooting Hunting and Outdoors Show (SHOT) in Las Vegas, January 17-19, 2012 or at the Velcro USA Inc. Booth, #155-317, at Outdoor Retailer Winter 2012 taking place in Salt Lake City, January 19-21, 2012.

www.velcro.com

ATS Tactical Suspenders in Jacquard Webbing

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

This is the first sample from ATS Tactical of their suspenders manufactured with Murdock Webbing‘s excellent Jacquard weave webbing in MultiCam. Unlike traditional printed webbing, the pattern is woven into the webbing so it won’t fade. Additionally, buckles give a little more bite into the pattern’s weave. The webbing blends in almost seamlessly with MutiCam fabric as you can see in this photo.

The suspenders themselves are a low profile affair, adjustable for length, designed to fit comfortably under armor and work in conjunction with the ATS War Belt.

Although this is the first product ATS has done in this material they tell us that more is on the way.

www.atstacticalgear.com

TacHacker – Conductive Threads

Sunday, December 11th, 2011

There are a lot of TacHackers out there reading SSD who are just looking for a new material to experiment with as well as that next project. Sparkfun Electronics is offering Conductive Thread Bobbins consisting of 60 feet of stainless steel thread. This is a great opportunity for those interested in getting into e-textiles and a good entry project is to modify of existing gloves for use with touch screen smartphones.

www.sparkfun.com

Thanks to Palehorse1!